Basketball 2/8/2018

TERRY BRYANSpecial Sports

Lady Bobcats 75, Monterey 22The Lady Bobcats and a large turnout of Pickett County fans were at Monterey last Tuesday night and were treated to another big Lady Bobcat win.Monterey scored first but a Courtney Pritchett 3 pointer put the Lady Bobcats on top for good. Savannah Hammock added a free throw, Abbi Bilbrey went to the line and sank two with Elly Smith hitting a three pointer for a 10-2 lead. To their credit, Monterey played well for the first quarter with the Lady Bobcats only ahead 13-6 after one quarter.The 2nd quarter began with Aaliyah Brown making a three and the Lady Bobcats pulled away. By the half it was 48-12 with Chloe Burton and Kyndall Ludick scoring on three pointers. Next year's stars played most of the 3rd and 4th quarters with some of the starters helping out.The score after 3 quarters was 64-18 with the final 75-22. Kyndall, Gracie, Savannah, Aaliyah and Chloe all had steals in the game. Gracie Martin led the team in scoring with 20 points. Courtney had 6 with 1 three, Savannah 11, Aaliyah 11 with a three, Abbi 6, Elly 5 with 1 three, Chloe 10 including a 3 pointer, Kyndall had 7 with a three and Bailey 2 points.

Bobcats lose showdown with Monterey

The Bobcats tried to do something no other team has done this year and that was to beat Monterey on their home court. Monterey, now 22-4, had only 3 losses up until that point and was ranked #4 in the stateMonterey started the game hitting a three before Brian Gibson drove to the basket to score. The Wildcats then went ahead 5-2 before Parker Gore scored. After Monterey scored Trent Young cut it to 1. The game stayed close until with Monterey ahead 9-8, Brian was fouled shooting a three pointer with almost no time left. He made all 3 free throws and the quarter ended 11-9 Bobcats.This game was important because Monterey had just one district loss and that was to the Bobcats. A Bobcat win, along with another team beating them would give the Bobcats a tie for 1st. But beating them on their home court would be tough.Early in the 2nd quarter Brian stole the ball and scored making it 13-9. Then Parker stole the ball and went coast to coast to score putting the Bobcats up 15-9 and Monterey called a time out. After the time out they responded with a three...15-12.The Monterey defense was all over Dawson and kept him from scoring in the 1st half. Several turnovers kept the Bobcats from pulling away but they were still ahead 25-23 at the half.The 3rd quarter began with Trent scoring followed by Brian making it 29-25. Dawson then got free and sank a 3 pointer making it 32-25. But each time the Bobcats would start to pull away, Monterey would come back. At 34-32 Brian scored and Monterey missed a three. The Bobcats had the ball with Bryson making a move but he was pushed...yet the foul wasn't called and a walk was called instead. Monterey missed a three, Dawson was fouled and he made both...40-34. There were several calls which went against the Bobcats which helped Monterey close to 40-39. The Bobcats were called for a foul and Monterey went ahead 42-40 on free throws. The 3rd quarter ended 42-41. The final quarter saw Monterey slowly pull away with their biggest lead at 63-52. The Bobcats cut it to 66-59 but could get no closer with the final score being 68-59.While the loss gave Monterey the regular season championship, the Bobcats are still in 2nd place. And, come tournament time, the Bobcats certainly have the talent and big coaching advantage, to win the district tournament title.Brian led the team in scoring with 17, Dawson came on strong in the 2nd quarter scoring 15 with 1 three, Trent had 8, Parker 11, John Parker Reagan 2 and Bryson Yorke 2.

Congratulations Dawson Abbott and Brian Gibson

In Sunday's Sports' section of The Tennessean, Dawson Abbott was at the top of the list of outstanding performances for Friday's games for scoring 44 points against Gordonsville. Brian Gibson was also listed for scoring 20 points in that same game.

The Lady Bobcats and Bobcats will host Red Boiling Springs on Thursday, Feb. 8th in a make up game. It will also be Senior Night. Come out and support the teams in their final regular season games. This will be the final regular season game for the many seniors on both teams. Both the senior girls and senior boys have had outstanding 4-year careers at Pickett County.

Lady Bobcats 81,Gordonsville 13

The Lady Bobcats traveled to Gordonsville on Friday for a match up with the 1-22 Lady Tigers. Needless to say, it didn't go well for Gordonsville. The game began with Aaliyah scoring and the team began stealing the ball, scoring, stealing the ball and a three by Aaliyah made it 16-0. It was 20-0 before Gordonsville made their first basket and at that point in the game, with nearly 6 minutes gone, it was only their 2nd shot at the goal. By the end of the 1st quarter it was 30-2.Despite the domination, the Lady Bobcats were still having a little bit of a problem with turnovers, something which had hurt them since the Clarkrange game. But, after the first half, which ended 50-8, they didn't have any more, nor did any of the younger players who came into the game early.Gordonsville's lineup was altered from the previous game with them as they are now starting a very young team, clearly looking for a stronger future.Aaliyah led the team in scoring with 20 points including 1 three, Courtney had 9, Kyndall had 7, Elly 3, Gracie 10, Abbi 12, Chloe 6 and Savannah 15.

Abbott scores 44 in win over Gordonsville

Dawson Abbott had a big scoring night with 44 points and 6 threes, with Brian Gibson also scoring 20 points including a three, in the Bobcats’ 87-67 win over Gordonsville.Gordonsville gave the Bobcats a good game in the first quarter taking an 8 to 2 lead before a Brian Gibson free throw and Dawson Abbott three cut that to 8-6. The Tigers went back ahead 13-8 but the Bobcats came right back and tied the game on 2 free throws by Dawson. With 34.5 seconds to go in the quarter the Tigers walked with the ball and Dawson hit an NBA three for a 3 point lead. The quarter ended 16-15.Gordonsville regained the lead hitting a three to start the 2nd quarter but again Dawson drained a very long three pointer. The Tigers would have their last lead at 20-19. It was then Brian scoring, the Tigers missing a three, with Brian then hitting a three for a 24-20 Bobcat lead. Clay Smith then stole the ball with Dawson being foiled. His free throws made it 26-20. Gordosnville hit a three, Brian scored, the Tigers missed a shot and a Gore to Smith pass ended with Clay scoring making it 30-23 Bobcats. With the Bobcats ahead 37-31, Dawson stole the ball. He and Brian raced down the court with Dawson making an alley-oop pass to Brian who slammed it through the hoop for a dunk, bringing a roar from the large turnout of Bobcat fans. The Tigers then missed a shot, with Dawson again hitting a long three making it 42-31. On the next play the Tigers broke away with their big man going in for a dunk...which hit the rim and bounced away. Dawson grabbed the rebound with Brian then driving to the basket to score. The half ended 44-31. The game was never close again. The Tigers, apparently frustrated with the talented Bobcats, played a bit rough which resulted in 2 technical fouls and an intentional foul called on them. By the end of three it was 67-48 Bobcats. Coach Amonett sent in the younger players in the 4th quarter but after the Gordonsville coach left his starters in and they made 2 threes in a row, our starters returned. That gave Dawson several trips to the free throw line which added to his big scoring night. Finally the Tiger starters went out, with ours to follow. After Dawson's 44 and Brian's 20 points, Trent had 12, John Parker Reagan 4, Slayde Copeland 1, Clay Smith 4 and Bryson Yorke 2.

Lady Bobcats 82, Green Co., Ky. 53

The Lady Bobcats, Bobcats and a host of fans headed to Albany on Saturday for the Robbie Davis Memorial Classic at Clinton County High as part of a 5-game afternoon. Green County came into the game with a 18-5 record and had played in the All "A" Classic, a tournament of the top 16 small school teams in the state. This would be a good match-up for the Lady Bobcats to prepare them for upcoming district, region and hopefully substate and state tournament games. Green County took a quick 4-1 lead before Gracie Martin cut it to 4-3. Savannah then stole the ball with Abbi scoring. Green scored but a pass from Gracie to Aaliyah Brown made it 7-6. The Lady Bobcats then had a couple of turnovers which helped Green Co. go ahead 12-7. But the Lady Bobcats came right back on scores by Gracie, Courtney and Savannah to take a 14-12 lead. It remained close with the quarter ending 16-15 Green Co. Gracie scored to start the 2nd quarter, Courtney made 2 free throws and after a Green Co. shot was in and out of the basket, Abbi raced the length of the court to score...24-18. Green Co. would cut it to 26-25 but a Chloe Burton three made it 29-25. From there on, the Lady Bobcats would dominate play. Gracie scored, Chloe drained another 3 and it was 36-28. With the score 40-29, Courtney stole the ball and by the end of the half it was 44-32 Pickett County. The third quarter was highlighted with steals by Gracie and Courtney and by the end of three it was 59-40. The final quarter's scoring was started with a three by Aaliyah who had not played much due to foul trouble. In fact, the Lady Bobcats had several players in foul trouble early and they had to come out. But the younger players stepped up and played outstanding basketball against Green County's starters. The game ended with Bailey Evans sinking a three for an impressive 82-53 Lady Bobcat win. Courtney led the scoring with 17 points, Gracie had 14, Savannah 8, Aaliyah 11 with 1 three, Elly 4 with a 3, Kyndall 6, Abbi 12, Chloe 7 with 2 threes, and Bailey one 3.Courtney Pritchett was selected as "Player of the Game" for her outstanding game. Congratulations Courtney!

Bobcats beat Clay Co., KY 69-59

On Saturday, the Bobcats also won in the Robbie Davis Memorial Classic at Clinton County High against a good Clay Co., Ky. and pulled away to win 69-59. The team was very similar to Jackson County, a team the Bobcats could face in the upcoming tournaments. Clay Co. got off to a quick 6-0 lead before Trent Young's three pointer cut that lead in half. Clay then went ahead 8-3 but Brian Gibson scored, Trent then stole the ball with Brian sinking a three to tie the game. With the score 14-12 in Clay County's favor, they hit a three to go ahead 17-12. They then stole the ball and scored for a 7 point lead. Brian would score again before the 1st quarter ended with the Kentucky team ahead 21-14. The Bobcats had possession to start the 2nd quarter and Dawson Abbott drove in to score. Clay missed a shot and Brian scored to make it 21-18. With Clay Co. on top 23-18, Trent hit another three pointer to make it a 2 point game. After another Clay score, Brian's three pointer cut it to 25-24. Clay called a time out and when play resumed they missed a three pointer and Pickett County took their first lead of the game on Bryson Yorke's score. Clay Co. pulled ahead once more, this time by four, but with the score 34-30, Dawson scored, Clay Co. was called for a charge and John Parker Reagan drove in to tie the game. As time ran out, Brian blocked a Clay Co. shot, they grabbed the rebound but missed on a three. At the half it was 35 all. Clay Co. came out strong and scored the first 5 points of the 3rd quarter before Trent hit his 3rd three of the game. Clay then went ahead 43-37, but again Trent scored on a three pointer...43-40. After a missed Clay Co. shot, Dawson's three tied the game. After a Clay time out, they scored, but Dawson sank another three to put the Bobcats on top 46-45. He then made another for a 49-45 score and the Bobcats led 52-48 at the end of three quarters. Parker Gore scored to put the 'Cats up by 6 to start the 4th quarter and soon they were ahead by 10 at 58-48. A three by Brian gave the Bobcats their biggest lead at 69-56, with the game ending 69-59 Bobcats. Trent Young, Brian Gibson, and Dawson Abbott all had 4 threes each and scored 16, 28 and 19 respectively, with Brian being high scorer. Also, Parker Gore 4 and Bryson Yorke 2. Brian was selected as the"Player of the Game." Congratulations to Brian on this well deserved award.

Pickett County Basketball 2/1/2018

TERRY BRYANSpecial Sports

Lady Bobcats lose to Clarkrange 65-59There was good and bad news from last week's Clarkrange game for the Lady Bobcats. The bad news was that that lost 65-59, had 23 turnovers, and most likely will not win the regular season championship. The good news is that they had an 8 point lead in the 2nd quarter and overall looked like a team with more talent than the Lady Buffaloes. And, if they cut the turnovers way down, and play to their ability, they look like can repeat as District Tournament and Region Tournament champions, just like last year. The Clarkrange gym was packed for the big game and Pickett County fans came out in large numbers. Our girls scored first as Courtney Pritchett passed to Savannah Hammock who drove in to score. Clarkrange then missed 3 threes in a row before Aaliyah Brown stole the ball but then the Lady Bobcats made their first turnover. Clarkrange responded with a three pointer. The Lady Bobcats turned it over again, and fouled Clarkrange. They sank both for a 5-2 lead. Aaliyah then shot along 2 pointer to cut it to 5-4. They then tied up Clarkrange but possession went to the Lady Buffaloes. Again the Lady Bobcats tied up the ball, gained possession but were called for a walk. Clarkrange then appeared to walk with the ball but it wasn't called and they then scored...7-4. Savannah scored to make it a one point game. A Clarkrange three and it was 10-6. PC then turned the ball over on a 5 second call but a Clarkrange foul gave the ball back to the Lady Bobcats who again turned it over, only to get it right back with Savannah scoring to make it 10-8. After a Lady Buffalo three missed its mark, Savannah's three did hit the target and the Lady Bobcats led by a point. Clarkrange then retook the led. A Lady Bobcat three was off, Clarkrange got the rebound but obviously walked and when it wasn't called the Pickett County crowd responded. They then called a foul on the Lady Bobcats and Clarkrange went ahead 14-11. Just as time ran out in the quarter, Aaliyah scored to make it a one point game at 14-13. Clarkrange had the ball to start the 2nd quarter, missed a shot with Gracie Martin scoring to put Pickett Co. back on top. Both teams then missed several shots before Aaliyah connected to make it 17-14 Lady Bobcats. After Clarkrange missed two three point attempts, Courtney sank a three to give Pickett Co. a big 20-14 lead and Coach Rogers called a time out. When play resumed the Lady Buffaloes missed a three, and Courtney was fouled. Her free throw gave the Lady Bobcats a 7 point lead. Abbi Bilbrey then blocked a Lady Buffalo shot with Pickett Co. then going to the free throw line when another of the Lady Bobcats was fouled. But both shots were off. Then as Clarkrange was cutting to the basket from the corner, the player had one foot halfway out of bounds directly in front of the official, but it was not called and she scored. PC responded with Courtney scoring...23-16. Clarkrange scored and then as Abbi was shooting, she was fouled. She made both for a 25-18 score. But then the lead was to be lost. Clarkrange hit a three, Aaliyah was fouled but it wasn't called and another player was then called for a walk. The Lady Buffaloes scored and cut it to a 2 point PC lead. Then the Lady Bobcats turned the ball over and Clarkrange took the lead on a three pointer, 26-25. The Lady Bobcats were then called for carrying the ball, and yet when Clarkrange came down the court after gaining possession, and carried the ball, nothing was called. By now the PC crowd was more than frustrated with the officiating. But, after that, a great Lady Bobcats defense caused a 5 second call on the Lady Buffaloes but PC turned it over. Clarkrange then went ahead 28-25 and the half came to an end. With more than a dozen turnovers in the first half, our girls still just trailed by 3, showing that without turnovers, they can beat Clarkrange. Clarkrange hit a three early in quarter 3 and it was 31-25. The Lady Bobcats then missed two free throws. Abbi was then fouled and PC got the ball out of bounds but their next shot was off. Both teams missed shots before Aaliyah scored to cut it to 31-27. PC got the ball back, Gracie passed to Abbi who scored... 31-29. Clarkrange then missed a shot and with a chance to tie the game, a Lady Bobcat walked with the ball and Clarkrange scored to go up by 4. But our girls came right back with Abbi scoring...33-31. Clarkrange's Garrett was called for an offensive foul but the Lady Bobcats missed a shot and Clarkrange scored. Our girls turned the ball over and Clarkrange went up by 7 on a three. Again the Lady Bobcats turned it over, Clarkrange gave it right back but it was the Lady Bobcats turning the ball over again. This time Clarkrange dropped in a three pointer and extended their lead to 43-31. Then, Abbi was fouled and sank both. Clarkrange also hit two free throws to go back up by a dozen. The score at the end of three was 45-33. But, these Lady Bobcats were not about give up. Savannah stole the ball and scored. Clarkrange's Charity Crabtree then fouled out. Savannah was absolutely clobbered without a foul being called. Clarkrange missed a three and a foul on Aaliyah was called. Her free throws cut it to 45-37. Clarkrange scored. Savannah then scored making it 47-39. Gracie was fouled and her two free throws made it 47-41. The Lady Buffaloes appeared to walk but it wasn't called and they scored. Courtney scored...49-43. At this point the game was getting rough. Elly was knocked down on what appeared to be a charge, but nothing was called. Clarkrange was then fouled but missed the front end of a 1 and 1. They then stole the ball but this time the charge was called. Then the Lady Buffaloes fouled again but both PC shots were off. Clarkrange then went to the line and went back up by 8 with 4:32 remaining. The Lady Bobcats then hit one of two free throws, but Clarkrange then made both of theirs. Gracie was then knocked to the court and appeared hurt but Clarkrange was given the ball. Gracie was able to finish the game. Clarkrange again went to the free throw line but could not connect. The Lady Bobcats turned the ball over, but Abbi stole it back with Aaliyah being fouled. She cut it to 55-49. Chloe Burton then stole the ball and scored and the Pickett Co. crowd responded with a roar. But PC was then called for a foul and Clarkrange went back up by 6. Courtney was fouled and sank both for a 57-53 score. PC got the ball back after the ball was tied up. Courtney was fouled and it was now 57-55. Clarkrange again went to the line and made one of two...58-55 with a minute to go. Abbi scored making it a one point game at 58-57. As Clarkrange drove in for a shot, they clearly pushed off, but the foul was called on the Lady Bobcats. The free throws made it 60-57. A Lady Bobcat three was off, and Clarkrange scored. A charge was called on the Lady Bobcats. Clarkrange on their next play was fouled and went to the foul line and made one of two...63-57. The Lady Bobcats threw the ball out of bounds on the inbounds and fouled Clarkrange. They made both...65-57. Then, Courtney was fouled, sank both and the game ended 65-59. While the loss was disappointing, and the turnovers cost the team dearly, for most of the game the Lady Bobcats outplayed Clarkrange. If the Lady Bobcats take better care of the ball and play up to their exceptional abilities, they will have a very good shot at winning both the district and region tournaments. Savannah led in scoring with 16 points with 1 three. Courtney 12, 1 three; Gracie 4; Aaliyah 15; Abbi 10; Chloe 2.

Bobcats beat Clarkrange 58-53The Bobcats lost at home to Clarkrange earlier in the year when they were in a 3 game skid, but this time had big leads before hanging on to win at Clarkrange. The game started with Brian Gibson sinking a three but Clarkrange matched it. Dawson Abbott then put the Bobcats up by 3 with his three pointer. Again Clarkrange scored on a three. Dawson then hit another three for a 9-6 Bobcat lead. A Buffalo three was off and Dawson scored...11-6. Clarkrange was next to score, twice, to cut it to 11-10 but threes by John Parker Reagan and Trent Young gave the Bobcats a 17-10 lead and Clarkrange called a time out. They scored but with 1:30 to go Parker Gore scored. The Buffaloes would score and as time ran out, Dawson's very very long three hit the bottom of the rim and the quarter ended 19-14. The 2nd quarter began with Brian scoring twice and the Bobcats were ahead 23-14. But the Buffaloes came right back and a three cut the deficit to 3 at 28-25. A score by Parker and a three by Dawson made it 33-25, which was the score at the half. Parker scored first in the 3rd quarter followed by a Buffalo 3. They got as close as 37-31 before Brian scored both a 2 and a 3 for a 42-31 lead. At the end of the quarter, Pickett County appeared to be safely ahead 46-37. Both teams scored with a Buffalo 3 cutting it to 48-42 but soon the Bobcats pulled ahead again when Trent hit a three making it 53-44. With 4:17 to go, Clarkrange hit a three, stole the ball with Brian then blocking a Clarkrange shot. A Bobcat turnover gave the ball back to Clarkrange but Brian again blocked a shot. The Bobcats were fouled but missed both free throws and Clarkrange hit another 3...53-50. The Bobcats were then called for an over and back and Clarkrange had a glaring walk which was overlooked and they tied the game on a three...53-53. There was now 1:43 to go and Dawson saved the day with a three. Clarkrange had a great chance to tie the game but a wide open three was off and the Bobcats began running down the clock. Dawson was fouled with 36.5 to go and he sank both shots. Clarkrange missed a three and fouled the Bobcats, but both shots were off. Another Buffalo three missed and again the 'Cats went to the line...no baskets. But time ran out and the Bobcats won their 5th straight district game and 9th game in 10 games 58-53. Dawson Abbott led the team in scoring with 21 and 4 threes. Also: Brian 20, 1 three; Trent 6, 2 threes; Parker 6; John Parker 5, 1 three. Dawson is also the 4th leading scorer in all classifications in Middle Tennessee.

Lady Bobcats win70-52 over Clay Co.At Clay County earlier in the year, the Lady Bobcats did not play well but still came away with a 2 point win at the buzzer. This time, it was no contest. Clay scored the first 4 points but the Lady Bobcats saw Savannah Hammock steal the ball and she scored. Aaliyah then tied the ball up with Courtney then scored. After a Clay Co. miss, a long pass to Gracie and a score put the Lady Bobcats up. Clay Co. tied the game but an Aaliyah three put PC up for good. Abbi made a layup, Savannah had another steal but the Lady Bobcats missed a layup. Clay hit a three...11-9. A Savannah 3 made it 14-10 and by the end of the quarter it was 17-12. The Lady Bobcats continued to have trouble with turnovers, but still outplayed Clay Co. and were ahead 33-18 at the half. Aaliyah also had another three in the quarter. The 2nd half started with Gracie stealing the ball. Sometimes scoring gets most of the attention in games, but Gracie's outstanding defense is one of the keys to the Lady Bobcats success. In the quarter Gracie also had a three, as did Courtney as they pulled ahead by 22 at the end of three...55-33 and had no turnovers in the quarter. Pickett Co. didn't score in the 4th quarter until there was 4:38 to go with Clay scoring 6. Courtney had another three to make it 62-44 and as time ran down, Savannah had a blocked shot and added 2 free throws. The final score was 70-52. Courtney was the top scorer with 17 and 2 threes; Gracie had 15 and a three; Savannah added 12 and a three; Aaliyah also scored 12 with 2 threes; Abbi scored 11.

Bobcats beat Clay Co. 69-65It was Homecoming on Friday and the Bobcats made the most of the special night. The Bobcats last beat Clay County in the 2013-2014 season, and had lost 12 in a row to them before their big win at home Friday night which put them alone in 2nd place in the district. Clay County never led in the game with Dawson scoring on a three pointer 4 seconds into the game. Clay Co. hit 2 free throws and then Brian Gibson scored. Clay scored with Trent making it 7-4. When Trent hit a three, it made the score 12-4 Bobcats! Clay cut it to 12-8 before Parker scored. A Bulldog three made it 14-11, but Parker scored again, Clay was called for a charge and Dawson's score made it 18-11. Pickett Co. was again to score by Parker and it was now a 9 point lead. Brian blocked Clay's last shot of the quarter and the Bobcats were ahead 24-15. The 2nd quarter started with a Bulldog score, followed by another Dawson three. After Clay missed a shot, a Bobcats shot was off, but Bryson grabbed the rebound and went up with authority to score. The Bobcats maintained their lead throughout the quarter with their biggest lead at 15. Dawson ended the Bobcat scoring of the half with a three and the half ended 40-27. After the Homecoming activities, the Bobcats went up by 18 when Brian's two free throws made the score 49-31. But suddenly Clay's Landen Woodcock got hot and started hitting threes...three in a row and cut the score to 53-44 Bobcats at the end of 3 quarters. Dawson made it 55-44 but with 6:23 to go, Landen dropped in another 3 making it 55-49. Brian made 2 free throws, but Clay hit yet another 3...57-52. After the Bobcats missed the front end of a one and one, Clay Co. went in for a layup and were down by just 3. Clay Smith was then fouled and with pressure on, he coolly sank both for a 59-54 Bobcat lead. Clay Co turned the ball over and fouled Dawson...61-54. Landen then raced down the court and hit a long 3 pointer...61-57. Dawson scored and Clay Co. turned the ball over again. Parker was fouled and his free throw made it 64-57. With 58.9 to go Clay added a free throw...65-57. Clay Co. sank 2 free throws...65-59. Brian then went to the line and made both for a 67-59 lead. But a Bulldog was fouled while shooting a three and he made all three shots for a 67-62 score. Dawson was fouled and made it 68-62. Clay cut it to 68-65 with another 3 pointer. With 18.6 seconds to go Trent was fouled and gave the Bobcats their final point of the night at 69 to 65. Time ran out and the Bobcats held on to win 69-65, knocking the Bulldogs out of a tie with the Bobcats for 2nd place. Monterey is now 10-1 with tough games left against Clay at Clay, Jackson Co. at Jackson, and with the Bobcats last night. A Bobcat win last night would be vital for the Bobcats' chances of catching Monterey for the regular season championship. The Bobcats are now 7-3, Clay 6-4, Jackson Co. 5-5, Clarkrange 5-6, RBS & Trousdale Co. 3-7 and Gordonsville, 2-8. Dawson was the lead scorer with 25 and 3 threes. Parker Gore had an outstanding game scoring 16 points shooting 7 for 9. Trent had 12 and 1 three; Brian 8; Clay 6 and Bryson 2.

Pickett County Basketball 1/25/2018

TERRY BRYANSpecial Sports

Lady Bobcats beat AAA #7 StoneMemorial 79-69

The Lady Bobcats met powerful AAA Stone Memorial on Saturday in Crossville, a team ranked #7 in the AP AAA state rankings and a team that beat Cumberland County (17-1) 72-35...the same team that gave Clarkrange its only loss. In the first quarter the Lady Bobcats were all over the Lady Panthers, stealing the ball and racing to a 10-2 lead. Former Bobcat Coach Mike Buck called 2 time outs in a matter of seconds but nothing slowed down the Lady Bobcats. Abbi Bilbrey scored the first 2 baskets with Savannah scoring the 3rd. With that Gracie Martin stole the ball. Aaliyah made it 8-2 with Gracie scoring to make it 10-2. It has to be mentioned at least once that the officiating left a lot to be desired in both games, but especially in this one. Without exaggeration, Stone got away with at least a dozen walks, 2 double dribbles, and a dozen fouls. Yet the Lady Bobcats overcame this, along with the Lady Panthers for the big win. With threes by Savannah and Gracie the Lady Bobcats gained a 16-6 lead. By the end of one quarter it was 24-10 and Coach Buck was more than frustrated with how the Lady Bobcats were manhandling the Lady Panthers. But the Lady Bobcats fans, with a crowd as large as the Stone Memorial turnout, were loudly cheering on the Pickett County performance. The second quarter belonged to the Lady Panthers as they showed why they were state ranked. They began hitting their threes and cut it to 34-31 at the half. Aaliyah and Gracie both had a three in the quarter. It didn't take long for the Lady Bobcats to pull away again. After Stone scored to cut it to 34-33, Courtney hit a three. Stone missed a shot and Gracie drove in to score. She then stole the ball and scored to make it 41-33. Stone scored, but then Aaliyah shot another 3 making it 44-35. Her next three made it 47-37. But the Lady Panthers charged back and made it a one point game at 49-48 having made a couple of threes and the Lady Bobcats having trouble scoring. Savannah scored...51-48. The Lady Bobcats maintained the lead of 3 to 6 points with the quarter ending 56-50. Aaliyah scored first, Stone missed their next shot and Gracie sank another 3...61-50. The Lady Bobcats stretched their lead to 68-53 with the game ending 79-69, giving the Lady Bobcats their most impressive win of the year. Coach Brent Smith is to be congratulated on the continued high performance he has been getting out of our girls for many years! And...the big turn out of Bobcat fans at both home and away is an important factor in keeping the Pickett County tradition going strong. Gracie Martin had 20 points and 3 threes. Courtney had 20 points and a three, Aaliyah 20 and 3 threes, Savannah 11, 1 three, Abbi 8. Coach Smith noted that this is first time in his career that he has had three players scoring 20 points in the same game.

Bobcat comeback falls short

It may have been the hard fought ballgame the night before against Jackson County, or maybe it was just one of those nights, but the Bobcats just couldn't play up to their usual great basketball Saturday night at Stone Memorial for the first half. Nothing went well for the Bobcats in the first quarter as the Panthers took a 13-2 lead. After a time out Trent Young hit a three to make it 13-5. He scored again at the buzzer to make it 15-7 at the end of one quarter and while they were down 8 points, that was not too much of a lead to make up. Dawson sank a three to start the 2nd quarter and now down 15-10, it began to look a lot better for the Bobcats. But Stone stole the ball and scored. They then stole the ball again. From there things just got worse in the 2nd quarter. By the half the Bobcats were down 37-14 and they just didn't look like the team we know. Down at one point 44-16, the Bobcats began to chip away at the Panther lead. A score by Trent and 2 threes by Dawson made it a 20 point game at 46-26. With Dawson's threes, a Cole Sells steal, and better play the Bobcats cut the lead to 55-37 at the end of three quarters. In the 4th quarter a Dawson three cut it to 58-47. Parker scored and it was now just a 9 point lead for the Panthers. But the Panthers hit a three and at that point time was slipping away. The Bobcats would get no closer and with having to foul Stone to try to get the ball and score, the Panthers pulled away again on free throws and won 71-57. After scoring just one three in the first half, Dawson had a remarkable 2nd half scoring 27 points for a total on the night of 30 points. A key factor in the Bobcats' impressive 8 game winning streak was the scoring of other Bobcats, especially by Brian Gibson. When more Bobcats can score, it takes the pressure off Dawson and the Bobcats win. This non-district loss does not change their 3rd place standing in the district. Scoring: Dawson 30, 7 threes, Trent 11, 1 three, Brian 2, Parker 4, Cole 4, Bryson 6

Lady Bobcats crush Jackson Co. 82-44

The Lady Bobcats crushed Jackson County Friday night by a score of 82-44. In their earlier match up, the Lady Bobcats raced to a 38-10 lead, but due to foul trouble only won by 11. Friday night was a different story as the Lady Bobcats had about two dozen steals and 10 threes with the starting "All Stars" only getting to play a little more than half the game due to the rout. The game started with Aaliyah Brown hitting a three pointer followed by Jackson Co. scoring. Jackson wouldn't score again until the Lady Bobcats had scored 16 points. After going ahead 5-2, the Lady Bobcats had 4 steals in a row...Savannah, Savannah, Aaliyah, and then Courtney which put them up 12-2 with Courtney's three pointer. Soon after Courtney blocked a shot and went coast to coast to score, Elly Smith stole the ball with Aaliyah then hitting 2 threes in a row. Abbi Bilbrey also had a steal and Gracie Martin ended the quarter by also sinking a three pointer. The Lady Blue Devils had the ball to start the 2nd quarter...for about 7 seconds before Abbi blocked a shot and stole the ball. On Jackson County's next possession she blocked their next shot as well. The Lady Bobcats continued to pour it on with Savannah's three making it 38-14, and she soon stole the ball again. By the half it was 41-21. Early in the third quarter the Lady Bobcats had consecutive threes by Gracie and Aaliyah followed soon after by steals by Abbi and Aaliyah who also raced to the other end of the court to score. Courtney scored, hooking the ball over her shoulder from behind, to score at the buzzer in an amazing shot! The quarter ended 69-37. The younger players came in during the 4th quarter, with some having played also earlier in the game. Elly shot a three, Chloe Burton had a steal as did Kyndal Ludick, with Savannah coming in shortly adding another 3 pointer. The game ended 82-44 with the Lady Bobcats winning their 10th straight over the Lady Blue Devils. Aaliyah Brown led the scoring with 23 points and 4 threes. Courtney 13, 1 three. Gracie 7, 2 threes. Savannah 12, 2 threes. Abbi 12. Chloe 2, Elly 5, 1 three. Team: 10 threes

Bobcats avengeearlier Jackson Co. loss 59-57

In the early going against Jackson County Friday night, it was a tight game with Jackson going ahead on a pair of threes, 6-2. The Bobcat basket came on a Trent Young drive to the basket to score. Then Dawson made a move to the basket which brought a big response from the crowd and cut it to 6-4. Clay Smith started for John Parker Reagan who was out with the flu, and stole the ball and scored. After a missed JC shot, Trent scored again. With the Bobcats ahead 12-11, Clay drove in to score, the Blue Devils missed a three, and Clay grabbed the rebound. Dawson brought the ball down court and his NBA three was all net. The quarter 17-11 Bobcats. Brian Gibson scored at the start the 2nd quarter, followed by Jackson sinking one of 2 free throws. Trent made it 21-12, Dawson made it 23-14 and a pass from Trent to Parker Gore and a score gave the Bobcats an 11 point lead at 25-14. Just when it looked like the Bobcats were going to put this one away early, Jackson Co. called a time out and their Troy Mineer (#1) came into the game. He hurt the Bobcats in their first game and did it again. He started getting free and sinking threes and suddenly it was 25-25. A Clay Smith basket put the Bobcats back on top but Jackson Co. retook the lead at 28-27. Then Dawson drove in to score with Parker then stealing the ball but he was called for a foul. Mineer hit another three to make it 31-29. Jackson County had the ball running down the clock to take the last shot of the half when at about 6 seconds to go, Dawson stole the ball and raced to just short the arch and swished another 3 pointer to give the Cats a 32-31 lead at the half. Jackson County cooled off to start the 2nd half and the Bobcats edged ahead 37-33. But the Blue Devils cut it to 1 with another 3. Dawson then drove in to score and by the end of the quarter the Bobcats were ahead 43-38 Dawson sank 2 free throws to extend the lead to 7 to start the 4th quarter and the Bobcats maintained the lead from 3 to 5 points until the 4:08 mark when Jackson Co. cut it to 52-50. The Bobcats were called for a foul but on a one and one, Jackson Co. missed the first shot. The Bobcats got the ball but didn't score. Jackson Co. then missed a three and then fouled Clay. He continued his outstanding play by making both free throws giving the Bobcats a 4 point edge. Next it was Jackson Co. going to the line cutting it to 54-52. Then on a controversial call, it appeared that Jackson County tipped the ball across the half court line. Dawson recovered the ball but was called for an over and back. The crowd clearly didn't see it that way. Now with the possession gift, Jackson County regained the lead with a three pointer with just over 2 minutes to go. A free throw by the Bobcats tied the game at 55 all. The Blue Devils then missed their shot and Brian scored to put the Bobcats up 57-55. Jackson missed again and Dawson grabbed the rebound and the Bobcats began running the clock down. But with 42 seconds to go, Jackson stole the ball and scored to tie the game again. Now the Bobcats had the ball with just under 40 seconds to go. Dawson began dribbling away from Blue Devil players who were trying to steal it but with time about to run out, he shot the ball to Trent Young who was about 10' out. His shot was all net and the Bobcat fans exploded in celebration of the big win. But the officials, who had a lot of missed calls and had plenty of questionable calls in both games, huddled. They then put one second back on the clock. With all the Bobcats in the back court, Jackson County threw a pass 3/4ths of the length of the court. The ball sailed over the head of a Blue Devil. Trent was guarding the basket behind him and grabbed the ball as the clock hit zero. The Bobcats won 59-57 and moved into sole possession of 3rd place. Congratulations to Clay Smith for an outstanding game, scoring 14 points and playing great defense. Also: Dawson: 21, Brian 5, Trent 11, Parker 4, Bryson 2. Threes: Dawson 2, Clay 1

Pickett County Basketball 1/18/18

TERRY BRYANSpecial Sports

Upcoming schedule A big turnout is hoped for on Friday when the Lady Bobcats host a tough Jackson County team, while the Bobcats hope to avenge their earlier loss at Jackson County. This will be Homecoming 2018.Then on Saturday the teams travel to Stone Memorial in Crossville where they will meet one of the best AAA teams in the state. Last year the girls won at Stone Memorial 80-76 in overtime. The boys' game will also be a challenging game, so come out and support your Pickett County teams!The girls remain in second place with just one district and overall loss, while the boys have moved up into third place at 4-3.

Lady Bobcats 85, Monterey 20 When one team comes into a game at 13-1 and the other is 1-14, you know the game will most likely be decided early...and it was. It was 12-0 Lady Bobcats before Monterey scored, but to their credit, it was a three pointer. Savannah Hammock won the tip off for the Lady Bobcats but there was a turnover giving the ball to the Lady Wildcats. Their possession didn't last long as Abbi Bilbrey stole the ball but a Lady Bobcat three was off. Monterey didn't get far down the court before Abbi tied the ball up but possession went to Monterey. They threw it away and Abbi scored. After a missed Monterey shot, Abbi scored again. She then stole the ball and scored again...6-0. While it may appear this was all Abbi so far, the other starters were putting pressure on Monterey and helping to set up scoring opportunities as well. But, Abbi did have an outstanding game. Savannah was next to steal the ball and soon Courtney Pritchett sank a three pointer for a 9-0 lead. Abbi caused another tied up with the ball going to the Lady Bobcats this time with Courtney hitting another three...12-0. By the time that Aaliyah Brown sank a three pointer, the score was 17-3. Courtney and Aaliyah each had one more three in the quarter and the team had 6 steals...Savannah 2, Abbi 2, Courtney 1 and Gracie Martin 1. The score at the end of 1 was 23-7. Aaliyah scored to start the 2nd quarter with a spin around layup and was fouled. She made the free throw. After Monterey walked with the ball Savannah scored. Courtney stole the ball with Savannah also scoring on a twisting layup. She was fouled and her free throw made it 31-7. Soon after Kyndal Ludick came into the game, she stole the ball with Aaliyah scoring. It was 38-9 when Elly Smith showed her defensive skills stealing the ball and then scoring. Monterey was called for a charge and Chloe Burton coolly hit an all-net three. With the score 44-9, Elly stole the ball again and scored. Monterey then scored on a three pointer but Chloe matched that with her second three of the night. The half ended with yet another steal by Elly and a score to make it 51-14. The Lady Bobcats had 16 steals in the half and 7 threes. Gracie started the 3rd quarter hitting a three, with she, Abbi, Aaliyah all having steals followed by another steal by Gracie. At this point it was 65-15. Bailey Evans wasn't in the game long before she added a three pointer and it was 75-16 at the end of three quarters. The 4th quarter was yet another one with the clock running to shorten the game with the mercy rule enforced. Bailey had her 2nd three of the night in that quarter. Abbi, Elly, Chloe, Kyndal and Bailey all played very good ball during that final quarter. The final score was 85-20. Aaliyah Brown led the team in scoring with 19. Abbi had 12, Courtney 11, Gracie 7, Savannah 8, Elly 4, Chloe 8, Bailey 8, Elly 4

Lady Bobcats crush Trousdale Co. 88-32 The first district match up with Trousdale County was another one-sided affair for the Lady Bobcats as they rolled to another impressive win. The Lady Bobcats scored first with Trousdale County coming right back with a score but the Lady Bobcats scored 10 points in a row before the Lady Yellowjackets would score again. They hit a three pointer but wouldn't score again in the quarter which ended 29-5, Lady Bobcats. Savannah Hammock scored 11 points in the quarter and had 3 steals. Aaliyah had 9 points with 3 steals as well. Gracie started the 2nd quarter at the free throw line making both her shots. Courtney's three pointer made it 34-7 and soon the younger talent came off the bench and also played well. Bailey, Elly and Abbi all had steals in the quarter which ended 49-20. The starters came back in to start the 3rd quarter with Gracie stealing the ball and scoring. Aaliyah's 3 pointer made it 62-20 and soon it was time for the starters to come out as not to run the score up anymore than possible. But, it is only fair for them to get some playing time even if it is just about half the game. The younger players have shown excellent three point shooting with Elly, Chloe and Bailey all hitting one each in the quarter which ended 75-28. In the final quarter Kyndal had 2 freethrows and a steal, while Elly and Bailey each had a three pointer. Chloe had what appeared to be a clean blocked shot, but the official saw it differently and called a foul. They outscored Trousdale Co. 13-4 for a final score of 88-32. Scoring was very balanced with Courtney scoring 9, Gracie 11, Aaliyah leading the scoring with 14, Savannah right behind her with 13, Abbi 12, Elly 8, Chloe 5, Bailey 9 and Kyndal 5. Threes: Bailey 2, Elly 2, Courtney 1, Aaliyah 1, Chloe 1

Bobcats beat Monterey 71-63 Monterey came into the Bobcat Den unbeaten in the district but it was the Bobcats who now are the team to beat in the district winning their 6th in a row and moving up in the standings. While Monterey may have a deeper bench and plenty of talent, it was the Bobcats whose talent, along with the top notch coaching of Coach Amonett, which won the game. Monterey started the game strong scoring the first 2 baskets, but Brian Gibson blocked a Wildcat shot, they then missed a three, with Trent Young scoring for the Bobcats. He was fouled and sank his free throw. Monterey then hit two free throws to go up 6-3. Brian drove to the basket to score to cut it to a 1 point game. The teams exchanged possessions before Brian's 3 pointer put the Bobcats on top 8-6. Monterey committed a foul and next it was Parker Gore giving the Cats a 10-6 lead. Monterey made one of 2 free throws, a Bobcat shot was off and Monterey cut it to 10-9. Brian scored again, followed by a Wildcat score. The Bobcats missed two shots but Parker stole the ball with John Parker Reagan driving in to score...14-11. Monterey's last score of the quarter was making one of two free throws while Dawson scored as time ran out for a 16-12 Bobcat lead at the end of one. The Bobcats had the ball to start the 2nd quarter but their first shot was off and Monterey scored. Bryson came into the game and was fouled. He made it 18-14. Monterey scored and got the ball back after a Bobcat foul. They hit a three for a 19-18 lead, which would be their last of the game. Dawson scored, Monterey missed a three but Dawson didn't miss his three and it was 23-19. But Monterey came right bank landing a three pointer. Brian scored, Monterey scored, and then John Parker made a very impressive drive into score for a 27-24 Bobcat lead. John Parker has got to be one of the favorites for Freshman of the Year! With the score 29-27, Trent made a huge steal and scored for a 4 point lead. Another Bobcat steal with Dawson scoring made it 33-27. Monterey's big man scored but Dawson hit a three for a 36-29 Bobcat lead. Monterey fought back though and made it a 2 point game at the half, 36-34. Monterey tied the game to start the 3rd quarter. Brian Gibson then scored on a three pointer. Monterey then tied it on an old fashioned three point play. Parker Gore then scored, Monterey missed under the basket with Brian driving in for another score and a free throw for a 5 point lead. The Wildcats could get no closer than 4 points and the 3rd quarter ended 54-50. John Parker drove in to score to start the final quarter. Trent gave the Bobcats a 6 point lead with Dawson going to the free throw line to make it an 8 point game. The Bobcats biggest lead was at 65-56 with excellent free throw shooting down the stretch to preserve the big win. With the win the Bobcats went to 11-4 on the season. Brian Gibson led the Bobcats with 24 points, Dawson added 20, Trent 9, Bryson 5, Parker 5 and John Parker 8. Threes: Brian 2, Dawson 2

Bobcats win again The Bobcats also won big against Trousdale County as they took the game by a score of 68-35. Brian won the tip off and then hit a three pointer to start the game. Trousdale came in with a big and athletic team, but proved to be poor shooters and fell behind quickly. The teams traded possessions before Dawson Abbott's three made it 6-0. The Yellowjackets then missed a three with Dawson sinking another three. Trousdale then missed two shots and then Trent was fouled. He made both for an 11-0 lead. The Jackets then scored with Dawson sinking another 3 for a 14-2 lead. With Dawson's third three pointer, a fan was overheard saying, "Their coach just said..."Who is that guy?" Well he is one of the leading scorers in the state averaging nearly 27 points per game and a leading candidate for district MVP. The Yellowjackets cut the lead to 14-6 and Pickett County took a time out. After clamping down on defense, the Bobcats were ahead 21-7 at the end of the first quarter. The 2nd quarter followed the same pattern as the first quarter with the Bobcats dominating play. Dawson's second three of the quarter was a very long NBA three making it 31-10, but it was a team effort that made the team so dominate. Luke Smith came into the game in this quarter and played well. One of the biggest cheers of the night came after a great pass from Trent Young to Bryson Yorke ended in Bryson scoring on a strong drive to the basket. The half ended 39-21. The 3rd quarter began with John Parker driving in to score. Brian had three in the quarter with Dawson adding two more. All the Bobcats got to play in the second half as the Bobcats pulled away to win 68-35. Dawson led the team in scoring with 32 points including 8 threes. Brian scored 10, Trent 8, Parker 2, John Parker 4, Bryson 9, Spencer Moody 1 and Cole Sells 2. Threes: Dawson 8, Brian 2

Pickett County Basketball 1/11/18

TERRY BRYANSpecial Sports

Lady Bobcats roll over opponents The Lady Bobcats continued to roll over their opponents last week crushing Clinton County 95-12 and Gordonsville 90-22. It was thethird straight game that the Lady Bobcats scored in the 90’s, withtheir previous game being a 90-17 win over Cascade in the girls'Christmas tournament. With games against Monterey (last night),Trousdale County on Friday night and Red Boiling Springs thefollowing Tuesday, the Lady Bobcats will not be facing muchcompetition, although RBS will be no pushover. These teams will give our younger talent the chance for more timeon the court to sharpen their skills, with big games coming up afterthese, with Jackson County, Stone Memorial, Clarkrange and Clay County.

Pickett Co. 95, Clinton County 12 In the Clinton County game by the end of the first quarter the scorewas 24-2, and by the half it was 45 to 9. With the Lady Bulldogs, whonot that many years ago was a powerhouse in Kentucky, rebuildingtheir program, it was a chance for the younger Lady Bobcats to shine.Kyndal Ludick was high scorer for the Lady Bobcats with 16 pointsincluding 2 threes. Bailey Evans hit 3 threes while scoring 11points. Also scoring 11 points was Chloe Burton, one three, and whohas been a standout this year coming off the bench. Elly Smithcontributed 9 points, one three, and as usual put a lot of defensivepressure on the Lady Bulldogs. Scoring totals for the starters were:Courtney Pritchett 7, Gracie Marin 12, Savannah Hammock 6, AaliyahBrown 12 and Abbi Bilbrey 12 With the younger players playing most of the 2nd half, the scorewas 82-12 after 3 quarters and they completely shut down ClintonCounty in the final quarter keeping them scoreless for a final of 95-12.

Lady Bobcats 90, Gordonsville 22

Gordonsville is another team down on their luck after being apowerhouse years ago. They came into the Bobcat Den with their firstwin in over two seasons ending a 43 game losing streak when they beatLEAD Academy. But they were no match for the Lady Bobcats, who remainfor the 4th straight year one of the best single A teams in the state. Aaliyah Brown scored the first 6 points of the game with the LadyBobcats stealing the ball over and over, scoring and blocking shots.Savannah had the first steal of the night after the first PickettCounty score, passing to Aaliyah for a layup. Then it was Courtneystealing the ball with Aaliyah again scoring. Next Gracie scored,then Savannah with Courtney stealing the ball again and then hittinga three pointer for a 13-2 lead. It may be hard to believe but by theend of the 1st quarter the score was 37-2 and the younger playerswere already in the game. Before the end of the quarter Aaliyah had asteal, Kyndal had one, Bailey had another as did Elly! There were 7steals in that first quarter, including one by Gracie before she leftthe game. By the half the score was 47-12 with the younger talent playingmost of the quarter. The starters came back to start the 2nd halfwith both Aaliyah and Gracie hitting threes, before Chloe came offthe bench to sink two threes. The 3rd quarter ended 77-18. Chloe gotthe final quarter off to a good start hitting yet another threepointer, plus a steal, while Elly had three more steals. The gameended with the Lady Bobcats on top, 90-22. Gracie Martin had 22points to lead the Lady Bobcats while playing only about half the game.Scoring: Courtney Pritchett 15, 2 threes; Savannah Hammock 7, GracieMartin 22, 2 threes; Aaliyah Brown 13, 1 three; Abbi Bilbrey 10; EllySmith 4, 1 three; Kyndal Ludick 4; Chloe Burton 13, 3 threes; BaileyEvans 2. Total Threes: 9

Bobcats win fourth and fifth in a rowThe Bobcats also had a great week and have now won 5 straight gameand have risen in the district from 6th place to a 4th place tie,before last night's game with district #1 Monterey.

Bobcats 60, Clinton County 45 In the first game on Thursday night against Clinton County, theBobcats had a much tougher opponent than the girls against a verygood Bulldog team. The pattern over the last few years has been thehome team winning, as was the case again this year. The first quarterwas close with the Bobcats taking a 13-10 lead. The Bobcats stretchedthe lead to 30-20 by the half. While the Bobcats maintained the lead,the Bulldogs challenged them several time and by the end of the 3rdquarter they had cut the Bobcat lead a little for a 38-32 Bobcatadvantage.But Clinton County could never close the gap with the Bobcats comingaway with an impressive 15 point win at 60-45. They gained theirbiggest advantage at 17 points when the score was 55-38.Dawson Abbott lead the Bobcats with 28 points with Brian Gibsonscoring 8, Trent Young 4, Bryson Yorke 7, Parker Gore 2, John ParkerReagan 9 and Luke Smith 2.

Bobcats 83, Gordonsville 46 Friday night it was the Bobcats running all over the GordonsvilleTigers, a team which had lost to Monterey by just 2 points earlier inthe season. The Bobcats dominated the Tigers by a score of 83 to 46.The Bobcats raced to an 11-0 lead before Gordonsville scored theirfirst basket. The Tigers have a tall team with a 6'8" player andanother 6'6"or 6'7", but they were no match for the Bobcats. Thosefirst 11 points include 2 threes by Dawson and another by Brian, withBrian also scoring a two point basket. The next score came afterTrent Young stole the ball and was fouled while shooting. He sankboth for a 13-2 lead. It was then Parker Gore stealing the ball andracing down court to score. John Parker Reagan was the next to stealthe ball but the Bobcats weren't able to score with both teamstrading possessions several times before the Tigers scored followedby Brian scoring to make it 17-4. Brian had another three before thequarter ended with the Bobcats on top 22-10.Gordonsville had possession to start the 2nd quarter but Bryson Yorkestole the ball for the Bobcats with Brian going in for the layup. TheTigers countered with a three pointer but the Bobcats continued topull away. Dawson's next three made it 31-16. Luke Smith came intothe game and played well as a pass from him to Bryson resulted inBryson going to the free throw line. With the score 40-19 Trent Youngswished a three pointer and at the horn to end the half, Dawson hit al-o-o-o-n-g three pointer for a 51-23 lead.In the 3rd quarter threes were made by Dawson, John Parker, Luke andTrent and with the score 74-32 the rest of the younger talent cameinto the game to finish the quarter and to play the final quarter.Cole Sells started the 4th quarter with a steal, and the upcomingtalent played well helping the Bobcats to win 83-46.Scoring: Dawson Abbott 27, 5 threes; Brian Gibson 20, 2 threes; TrentYoung 10, 2 threes; Bryson Yorke 3; Parker Gore 7; John ParkerReagan 5, 1 three; Clay Smith 3, Luke Smith 3, 1 three; Cole Sells 3,Slayde Copeland 2

Pickett County Basketball 1/4/2018

TERRY BRYANSpecial Sports

Bobcats, Lady Bobcats play in Richland Christmas ClassicThe Lady Bobcats and Bobcats travelled to Richland High School for the Richland Christmas Classic December 28th and 29th.

On Thursday, the Lady Bobcats beat Murfreesboro Central Magnet with a score of 79-33, while the Bobcats took a win over Lawrence County with a close score of 72-70.

In Friday's games the Lady Bobcats final score against Cascade was 90-17 with Lady Bobcats bringing home another win.

Pickett County Basketball 12-28-17

TERRY BRYANSpecial Sports

Lady Bobcats 64-37 over LAThe Lady Bobcats continued their domination over Livingston Academy with a 64-37 win last week. Courtney Pritchett led Pickett County with 21 points which were all scored in the first half.

The Lady Bobcats raced to a 12-2 lead with Aaliyah Brown getting 3 steals to help the team pull away early. With the score 12-4 Courtney stole the ball with Abbi Bilbrey then scoring. The Lady Wildcats were then able to score twice to cut the lead to 16-8 with the first quarter ending 20-10. Courtney had 14 points in the 1st quarter.

As play got underway in the 2nd quarter, Courtney drove to the basket to score. Ahead 27-12, she stole the ball and scored. Then it was Gracie Martin's turn to score...29-12. While the Lady Bobcats were dominating play, they did miss some layups, but a blocked shot by Abbi, and good free throw shooting by Aaliyah and Abbi, down the stretch helped them to a 35-17 lead at the half.

At the half, Coach Brent Smith was honored for winning his 300th game.

The Lady Bobcats turned the ball over to start the 3rd quarter but Aaliyah stole the ball right back and scored. The Lady Wildcats' 3 pointer made it 37-20 but Elly Smith responded with a three making it a 20 point lead. Courtney then stole the ball with Aaliyah being fouled while shooting. She sank both free throws. Courtney stole the ball again with Elly making another three...45-20. Elly stole the ball but LA stole it right back and eventually scored. After the Lady Bobcats gave the ball back to Livingston on a foul, Aaliyah stole the ball and scored. She and Courtney both had another steal each on the way to a 52-22 lad after 3 quarters.

The younger players came in and played pretty evenly with the LA starters throughout the 4th quarter in route to the 64-37 win.

The Bobcats got back on track last week hitting 10 threes on their way to a 76-70 win over Livingston Academy.

Brian Gibson scored first for the Bobcats but LA came right back hitting a three. After a missed Bobcat three, LA scored to go ahead 5-2. But Brian's three pointer tied the game. Livingston then took a 5 point lead before Brian's all net three cut it to 10-8. LA scored again but the Bobcats coming right back with a strong drive to the basket and score by Parker Gore. LA then went ahead 14-10. After a timeout, it was Trent Young driving in to score. LA then turned the ball back to the Bobcats on a foul with Dawson Abbott scoring on a layup to tie the game. Each time the Wildcats would score, the Bobcats would come right back to tie the game. Tied at 20 all, Dawson stole the ball, but the quarter ended all knotted up.

LA went ahead on 2 free throws before Dawson's three pointer gave the Bobcats their first lead since the first score of the game at 23-22. The Wildcats were then called for a charge and Dawson hit another 3 pointer for a 4 point lead. But Livingston came right back to regain the lead at 31-30. Another Abbott three made it 33-31, LA missed a shot with Trent Young hitting a three for a 36-31 Bobcat lead. After a Livingston timeout, they scored on a three pointer to make it a 2 point game.

When they next hit a three, they had regained the lead at 39-38. Dawson hit his 4th three pointer of the night making it 41-39. After a missed Wildcat basket, Brian was fouled and he made it 42-39. A LA three point attempt was way off, Brian grabbed the rebound and his score gave the Cats a 44-39 lead. The Wildcats came right back to cut it to 44-43 with the half ending 45-43.

Neither team could score for the first minute or so of the 3rd quarter before Trent drove in to make it 47-43. LA cut it to 2, but Dawson's three made it a 5 point Bobcat lead. The Wildcats came back to make it a 1 point Bobcat lead. It was then Brian feeding the ball to Bryson Yorke who laid it up and in making it 52-49. LA scored followed by yet another Abbott 3. With the score 57-53, Bryson blocked a Wildcat shot. Soon after, Brian hit a three but a foul had been called on LA before the shot, taking the basket away. The score remained close with the 3rd quarter ending with the Bobcats on top 61-59.

Brian was the first to score in the final quarter, dropping in a three pointer. A Wildcat three was off, Trent grabbed the rebound and scored making it 66-59. The Bobcats continued to pull away with Trent's reverse layup giving the Bobcats a 71-62 lead. But LA then hit 2 three to cut it to a 5 point Bobcat lead. They would get one more three pointer, but Bobcats' free throws helped to maintain their lead with the final score being 76-70.

The Lady Bobcats and Bobcats play Thursday and Friday at Richland High School in Lynnville, TN. They play at 1 p.m. and 3:30 both days.

They then host Clinton County at home on Thursday, January 4 and Gordonsvile on Friday, January 5th. Come out and support your Lady Bobcats and the Bobcats!

District Standings

Girls: Clarkrange leads the district at 13-1 and 4-0. The Lady Bobcats are next at 9-1 and 3-1. Jackson County is tied for 2nd at 8-4 and 3-1. It is then, Clay Co. 5-4, 2-2, Trousdale Co. 3-8, 2-2, Red Boiling Springs 10-6, 1-3, Monterey 1-12, 1-3, with Gordonsville last at 0-13 and 0-4.

The Lady Bobcats have their chance to move into a 1st place tied with their January 23 game at Clarkrange.

Boys: Monterey leads at 11-3 and 4-0 but has had a 1 point win over Trousdale Co. and a 2 point win over Gordonsville. Clay County is tied for 1st at 8-3, 4-0.

Clarkrange, Gordonsville and Jackson County are all tied at 2-2 with Clarkrange at 11-6 overall, Gordonsville at 6-9 and Jackson County at 8-4. Our Bobcats are 6th at 6-4 and 1-3. Red Boiling Springs is tied with the Bobcats at 11-4 and 1-3. Trousdale County is last at 3-8 and 0-4.

The Bobcats have plenty of time to move up in the standing with two games yet to be played with Monterey. 2 games with both Gordonsville and Trousdale County, and rematches at home with Clay Co., Jackson Co. and Red Boiling Springs at home, and away vs. Clarkrange.

Pickett County Basketball 12/7/17

TERRY BRYANSpecial Sports

Lady Bobcats crush Wayne County 74-30The Lady Bobcats hosted the Lady Cardinals of Wayne County last Tuesday night and came away with a 74-30 win with all the Lady Bobcats getting plenty of playing time. The Lady Bobcat fans and cheerleaders are extra loud this year cheering the players as they are introduced, which has to be unnerving for the visiting team. Abbi Bilbrey started the Pickett County scoring after winning the tipoff, but that was after the Lady Bobcat's first shot was off with Abbi stealing the ball to set up her score. The teams then traded possessions. Abbi blocked a Wayne Co. shot with Aaliyah Brown scoring. Wayne Co scored and then Courtney Pritchett was fouled. She made both shots and the Lady Bobcats were on their way to another big win. An Aaliyah Brown steal and score made it 9-2, followed by a Courtney Pritchett steal and score ...with a Savannah Hammock free throw coming in-between. By the end of the quarter the Lady Bobcats led 18-6. The first scores of the 2nd quarter were two free throws by Abbi. Wayne County then turned the ball over and Savannah made them pay by hitting a three pointer. She also scored the next 2 points, stole the ball with Courtney scoring on free throws to make it 27-6. The onslaught didn't stop there. Gracie Martin stole the ball with Savannah scoring. After a missed Lady Cardinal shot, Aaliyah hit another three for a 33-6 score. Add another score by Abbi and a big three by Kendall Ludick and it was now 38-6. That was a 22-0 run by the Lady Bobcats! It was now time for Coach Smith to send in some of the other talent off the bench. A three pointer and some free throws helped Wayne County end up with 13 points at the half with the Lady Bobcats having 40. At the half several fans shot threes to try to win cash with the sponsors being Keisling Insurance, Larry Brown, Subway and People's Bank. It was announced that at the half of the Clarkrange game, on December 12, one fan will have the chance to win $20,000! It would take a free throw, three pointer and half court shot within a time period of 25 seconds. Keisling Insurance is sponsoring this event. The starters, Courtney Pritchett, Gracie Martin, Savannah Hammock, Aaliyah Brown and Abbi Bilbrey were back to begin the 3rd quarter. It had to be disheartening for Wayne County to see the 2nd half start with another Aaliyah Brown three pointer. Then after Courtney stole the ball, Savannah scored followed by a Lady Cardinals' basket. After Gracie dropped in a free throw, she stole the ball and after a couple Lady Bobcat missed shots, drove to the basket to score. Courtney stole the ball with Aaliyah the next to score...50-19. When Elly Smith came into the game, besides her outstanding defensive play, she swished a three pointer making it 56-22. Both she and Gracie had steals before the quarter ended 56-26. The 4th quarter saw most of the starters come out with Kendall Ludick, Elly Smith, Chloe Burton and Bailey Evans coming in to sharpen their skills which already are impressive. Chloe had a steal, Kendall also had a steal plus scored 13 points in the quarter including her 2nd 3 pointer of the night, and the game ended with the Lady Bobcats 5th straight blowout win 74-30. Scoring: Courtney 11, Abbi 6, Savannah 13, Aaliyah 17, Gracie 4, Chloe 4, Elly 3, Kendall 16 Threes: Kendall 2, Savannah 2, Aaliyah 2, Elly 1

Amazing Bobcats win over Wayne County 73-71 Wayne County visited the Bobcat Den last Tuesday night with a quick and talented team and for the first half it appeared as though the hot shooting Cardinals would come away with a big win as they took a 44-31 lead at the half. The Cardinals won the tip off but missed a three and fouled Trent Young. It was then Dawson Abbott scoring a three to put the 'Cats on top. The Cards scored but Dawson hit another three. But Wayne County answered with a three to make it a one point game. When Dawson was fouled he went to the free throw line and sank both for an 8-5 lead. It was then the lightning quick Cards sinking a three to tie the game. Trent then scored to put the Bobcats back on top and it appeared it could be a close game. After a missed Wayne Co shot, the Bobcats' three was off and the Cards tied the game. Another Bobcat shot was off and Wayne Co. responded with a three to take their first lead of the game. Again the Bobcats couldn't hit, missing two shots and it was then another three pointer for Wayne County. Brian Gibson scored making it a 4 point game. He then blocked a Cardinal shot but the ball just wouldn't drop for the Bobcats. With the score 19-12, Brian's three was all net...19-15. But the Cards came right back with a three of their own. On the Bobcats next possession Brian was driving in for the basket when he was fouled...hard. He made one of two and the quarter ended 22-16. To start the 2nd quarter Dawson scored and was fouled and made the extra point to make it a 22-19 game. But again Wayne Co. pulled away with yet another 3. A Bobcat three was off and the visitors responded with another three pointer. After Coach Amonett called a timeout, Brian Gibson took the ball coast to coast to score. But the Cards scored 5 straight to go up 33-22. A Clay Smith 3 helped narrow their lead but the Cards scored the next 4 points. Down by 11, Dawson hit a three pointer to make it 37-29. But the half ended with Wayne County scoring their 8th three of the game for that 44-31 halftime lead. The second half was one no Bobcat fan should have missed and one a lot of Wayne County fans did miss. The Lady Cardinals along with a large number of Wayne County fans left at the half. It didn't start out well for the 'Cats as the Cardinals went to the free throw line to start the quarter and stretched their lead to 15 points. The Bobcats then missed their next shot but the Cards also a missed a wide open three. John Parker Reagan, who continues to impress, then drove to the basket to score. It was now Wayne County that was having a hard time scoring at that end of the court. After they missed a shot, Brian scored on a three pointer. That made it a 10 point game. After the Cards missed again, they stole the ball and hit a three. Again John Parker scored. The Cards turned the ball over with Brian scoring again...another 3. The Cards couldn't score and Brian made it a 6 point game and by now the crowd was very loud. But the Cards went back up by 10. Another Dawson three made it 55-48. A Cardinal charge gave the Bobcats the ball with Dawson scoring...55-50. They charged again! Dawson for three! 55-53. Wayne County then missed two free throws and a Bobcat shot at the buzzer was off and the quarter ended 55-53! Wayne Co. had the ball to start the final quarter and scored. Soon Dawson was fouled shooting. He made it 57-56. A Cardinal three was off and Dawson then put the Bobcats back on top 58-57...coming all the way from 15 down! The Cards scored but Brian's 3 made it 61-59 'Cats. A Cardinal three..62-61. John Parker put the Bobcats ahead by 1. We missed a shot and the Cards responded with a three...65-63. Then there was a turnover, a Wayne Co. charge with Dawson scoring...65 all. With 3:26 to go the Cards went up by 3. The Bobcats had a turnover and the Cards had their 12th three of the night and a 6 point lead at 71-65. It appeared that the game was getting away from the Bobcats. We then missed a shot, Dawson stole the ball but the 'Cats missed again. Then Parker Gore stole the ball, but the Bobcat had a turnover. With 1:32 to go Coach Amonett had Dawson foul, twice. On the 2nd one a Wayne Co. guard went to the line and his hard shot bounce off the backboard to a Brain Gibson rebound. A Bobcat basket was off but Trent Young had a huge steal and was fouled. Under pressure he made both, 71-67. Coach Amonett called a time out. Again Dawson fouled and again Wayne Co. missed the front end of a one and one. Brian rebounded and Dawson came down and scored 71-69. With 41.8 seconds to go Trent nearly stole the ball and was called for a foul. Again the Cards missed the front end of a one and one. Of course the crowd was on their feet and very loud! Parker grabbed the rebound and with time running out Brian scored to tie the game. It looked like overtime. With seconds to go, the Cardinal inbound pass was tipped...apparently by Parker with Dawson racing in for a go ahead score with just over 4 seconds to go! It all happened so quickly, it was hard to see! The roar of the crowd must have been heard all the way to Monticello! Wayne Co. made a desperate very long shot which was way off and the Bobcats celebrated a remarkable comeback against a very good team! This may have been the toughest game for the rest of the regular season schedule and will be one long remembered by Bobcat fans. And, Coach Amonett called a very smart game, especially down the stretch! While the Cardinals had 12 threes, the Bobcats had 10 of their own. Dawson led with 34 points with Brian adding 22. Scoring: Trent 4, Bryson 2, Brian 22, Dawson 34, John Parker 8, Clay 3 Threes: Dawson 5, Brian 4, Clay 1

Pickett County Basketball 11/30/17

By: TERRY BRYAN

Bobcats whip Hogeye 83-66

The Bobcats won their second game of the season at Livingston lastweek, beating the Wildcats 83-66 with Dawson Abbott leading theBobcats with 25 points. Brian Gibson also had an outstanding gamescoring 22.The early minutes didn't go well for the Bobcats as LA took a 10-4lead but baskets by Brian Gibson and Trent Young plus his two freethrows tied the game. Dawson was fouled and his 2 free throws put theBobcats on top 12-10 and they would be ahead 15-14 after one quarter.LA had one last lead at 20-19 until Dawson drilled a long 3 pointerto put Pickett County up 22-20. His next basket made it a 4 pointlead, with John Parker Reagan going to the line where he made bothfree throws for a 26-20 lead.The Wildcats fell behind by 8 before a three pointer cut it to 32-27.But Brian Gibson scored, LA was called for a charge and Dawson hitanother three to put the Bobcats ahead 37-26. At the half it wasPickett County 42 LA 34.The 2nd half started with another Abbott 3, followed by two BrianGibson threes in a row and it was now a 17 point Bobcat lead. Brianhad another three in the quarter as did Trent Young. The 3rd quarterended 66-49 Bobcats.In the 4th quarter a couple of Wildcat threes cut it to a 13 pointBobcat lead and the Bobcats began to have trouble advancing the ball.With the Wildcats back to within 9 at 70-61, Clay Smith hit a threepointer and the Bobcats pulled away again for the 83-66 win.Scoring: Dawson Abbott 25, Trent Young 13, Parker Gore 6, BrianGibson 22, Bryson Yorke 6, John Parker Reagan 4, Luke Smith 2

Lady Bobcats 72, LA 49

At Livingston, the Lady Bobcats took a quick 7-1 lead over the LadyWildcats with a three pointer by Aaliyah Brown and by the end of the1st quarter the Lady Bobcats had a commanding 21-10 lead.In the 2nd quarter 3’s by Savannah Hammock and Abbi Bilbrey, alongwith 3 steals by Aaliyah and great D by Gracie Martin, plusrebounding and defense by Courtney Pritchett, all contributed to themstretching the lead to 39-19 at the half.Highlighting the 3rd quarter was another 3 by Aaliyah, excellent playby Elly Smith and Chloe Burton, a blocked shot by Abbi and continuedoutstanding play by Courtney, Savannah, and Gracie, who also had asteal. The score was 61-32 after 3 quarters. The Lady Bobcats largestlead was in the 4th quarter by 32 points with the final score being72-49.Scoring: Abbi Bilbrey 7, Courtney Pritchett 9, Gracie Martin 5,Aaliyah Brown 16, Elly Smith 4, Chloe Burton 9, Savannah Hammock 13,Kendall Ludick 5, Bailey Evans 4. Threes: Aaliyah 2, Savannah 1,Chloe 1, Abbi 1.

Stone Memorial Thanksgiving Showcase

The Lady Bobcats traveled to Crossville for the Stone MemorialShowcase on Friday and Saturday and came away with two impressivewins. Playing were Stone Memorial, a talented team that the LadyBobcats will play later in the season, (1-2) private school Webb ofKnoxville and (3-2) AAA Dobyns-Bennett of Kingsport and the LadyBobcats.

Lady Bobcats 74, Webb 50

The Lady Bobcats played Webb on Friday, a team with two tall playersand some talent, but they were no match for Pickett County. Webbscored first on a three, but the Lady Bobcats took the lead afterAaliyah scored, Abbi Bilbrey stole the ball with Aaliyah scoringagain. Abbi then blocked a shot with Aaliyah scoring again. By theend of the 1st quarter it was a 19-9 Lady Bobcat lead. Webb was well aware of Courtney Pritchett's potential as theydouble teamed her in an effort to slow her down. They didn't thoughas Courtney had 7 points in the quarter. Chloe Burton also had agreat quarter hitting a three and stealing the ball. Aaliyah also hada three, plus excellent play by Gracie, Savannah, Abbi and Elly allcontributed to their 41-23 lead at the half.A highlight of the 3rd quarter was a three by Gracie and Courtneydropped one in the 4th quarter with the Lady Bobcats winning 74-50.Courtney led in scoring with 19 points. Scoring: Courtney 19, Aaliyah 15, Abbi 11, Gracie 9, Savannah 14,Chloe 4, Kendall 2 Threes: Courtney, Gracie, Chloe and Aaliyah allhad 1 each.

Lady Bobcats 73 Dobyns-Bennett 56, Brown scores 35

The Lady Bobcats played Dobyns-Bennett on Saturday, a school withover 2,200 students and while they had a very good team, theycouldn't match the talent of our Lady Bobcats. The first quarter wastight but the Lady Bobcats either led or were tied throughout thequarter which ended 15-13 in our favor. Aaliyah had 8 points in thequarter to lead scoring and ended the game with an outstanding 35points. A breakaway score by Savannah Hammock gave the Lady Bobcats a 6point lead early in the 2nd quarter, with a steal by Courtney and athree by Elly Smith keeping the Lady Bobcats ahead. A three byCourtney extended the lead to 31-24 with the half ending 32-26Pickett County. A three by Aaliyah made it 38-30, and a couple of steals byGracie helped Pickett County to extend the lead. By the end of the3rd quarter they were ahead 54-43. The Lady Bobcats outscored Dobyns-Bennett 19-13 in the 4th quarter with Aaliyah scoring 9 of her 35points in the quarter.Scoring: Courtney 8, Aaliyah 35, Abbi 9, Gracie 10, Elly 3, Savannah6 and Chloe 2 Threes: Aaliyah 5, Elly 1, Courtney 1

Lady Bobcats roll

The Lady Bobcats easily won three games before last night's home gameagainst Wayne County (played after newspaper's deadline) beatingLivingston for the 6th straight time, and beating Webb and Dobyns-Bennett in the Stone Memorial Thanksgiving Classic.

Bobcats lose to unbeaten Marshall County, beat Stewarts Creek

The Bobcats traveled to Woodbury Friday and Saturday to play in theMitch Wilson State Farm Classic at Cannon County, and came away witha split. They dropped their first game to unbeaten AA Marshal County,but came back to beat AAA Stewarts Creek on Saturday. Details of bothgames will be in next week's paper. They are 3-1 on the season beforelast night's game with Wayne County, Kentucky.Dawson Abbott was mentioned in The Tennessean's Top BasketballPerformances this past week.

Lady Bobcats beat DeKalb 77-32

A large and enthusiastic crowd of Lady Bobcat and Bobcat fans turnedout Nov. 17 and were treated to a 77-32 rout of AA DeKalb County, ateam that won their first game by a score of 61-15 over BoydBuchanan...the team Pickett County beat in the Sub-State a few yearsago. As the Lady Bobcats were being introduced after the NationalAnthem, the Pickett County fans greeted them with the loudestcheering heard in intros in a long time...our fans know that this isgoing to be one very special year...maybe even better than theamazing last three!Scoring: Aaliyah Brown 16, Abbi Bilbrey 16, Courtney Pritchett 9,Savannah Hammock 11, Gracie Martin 6, Elly Smith 3, Kendall Ludick 2,Bailey Evans 6, Chloe Burton 8 Threes: Evans 2, Bilbrey 1, Burton 1,Brown 1

Bobcats defeat DeKalb County 63-44

The Bobcats also started the season with a win over the Tigers whocame into the game fresh off a 79-25 win over Boyd Buchanan. They putup a much tougher fight against the Bobcats than their counterpartsdid, but in the end it was the Bobcats pulling away for the 63-44 win. Scoring: Dawson Abbott 16, Trent Young 13, Parker Gore 11, BrianGibson 9, Bryson Yorke 2, Clay Smith 6 Threes: Dawson 1, Brian 1

PCHS football team Meet and Greet--huge success

The meet and greet for the PCHS Football Team held last Saturday wasa huge success. There were games, food, a dunking booth, footballthrow, and live music from the Cross Brothers Band with Jimmy Rigney.We would like to thank the Town of Byrdstown and Mayor Gibson forletting us use the tables, chairs and tent and also for use of thelocation. We also want to thank Water Rentals from Cookeville for thedunking booth, b&k and Jerry's IGA for the boston butts, CarolynPainter for her donation of desserts, People’s Bank, Tim Ford andHomer Reagan for the use of their smokers, our pchs cheerleaders, andfor all the support from the parents, coaches, cheerleaders, andfootball players for making the night memorable. We also want tothank all the businesses who donated items for the silent auction orwho donated a monetary donation.We hope this is a beginning of making money to someday have a stadiumfor the PCHS Football Team. Again thanks so much for all the help andsupport for our players and coaches.PHOTOS: Brandie Storie

Another great Lady Bobcat/Bobcat season comes to an end

TERRY BRYANSports Writer

One of the best basketball seasons ever for Pickett County is now over but next season looks to be just as promising.

LADY BOBCATS The Lady Bobcats of course with their 30-3 record, third straighttrip to the state tournament and super individual performances by each Lady Bobcat, gave the loyal Lady Bobcat fans another season to remember. Losing senior Abbi Buck, who set the school 3-point record thisseason, will be tough. Kassidy Geesling, her steals, blocked shots,rebounds and many key baskets will be equally missed. But, this is always a part of high school basketball and their contributions will long be remembered! Thank you Abbi and Kassidy!

But next year the Lady Bobcats may just be the favorites to winit all. Many fans, and most Lady Bobcat fans, believe that they may have been the best team this year, and if not for a slow first half against the eventual champion South Greene at the state tournament, would have been state champions this year. They certainly outplayed the Lady Rebels in the 2nd half and outscored them 38-31.

Returning will be starter Courtney Pritchett, DistrictTournament MVP and region Tournament MVP, and could be a Miss Basketball candidate next year. Gracie Martin, district defensive player of the year, who could be counted on to score 3’s and key baskets as well, will also be a top player again. Savannah Hammock, who also was on all tournament teams, was a key rebounder, often was high scorer and was also a great defensive player. Sophomore Aaliyah Brown returns and while she wasn’t a starter, played extensive time in each game and often was top scorer including her impressive 23 points at the state tournament. She will also be one of the best in the district next year. Talented underclass members Elly Smith, Haley Burton, EmmaZachary and Tyra Johnson saw plenty of action, coming in to reststarters and to protect Lady Bobcat leads. They usually saw playing time against opponents starters and played evenly with them if not better!

Add to this talent pool will be an outstanding group offreshmen, who were 2-time state champions as 7/8 team members. Also,some of these freshmen were on the National Championship 7th Grade AAU team.

Gone will be South Greene to AA, along with many private schools who will move to Division II, Watertown to AA, Marion County to AA.Next year will see an easier region group. But, the Sub-State will no longer be easy as it has been vs. Chattanooga’s weak team.

The teams who may be in the region from the other district: District 5: Ivy Academy (Soddy-Daisy, TN), Richard Hardy Memorial School (South Pittsburg, TN), South Pittsburg High School (South Pittsburg, TN), Van Buren Co. High School (Spencer, TN) and Whitwell High School (Whitwell, TN). None are expected to be up to 7A strength next year.

The teams who may be in the Sub-State include: District 7: Dayspring Academy (White House, TN), Grace Christian Academy - Franklin (Franklin, TN), KIPP Nashville Collegiate School (Nashville, TN), LEAD Academy (Nashville, TN), Merrol Hyde Magnet School(Hendersonville, TN), Republic High School (Nashville, TN), STEM Prep Academy (Nashville, TN) District 8: Cascade High School (Wartrace, TN), Cornersville High School (Cornersville, TN), Eagleville High School (Eagleville, TN), Fayetteville High School (Fayetteville, TN), Huntland High School (Huntland, TN), Moore Co. High School (Lynchburg, TN). Only Huntland and Morre County are expected to be strong, but both were top 10 teams this year.

The Lady Bobcats should be the pick to win the district, the tournaments and head back to the state for the 4th straight year!

And of course our Coach Brent Smith is a key to our girls’ success. He was Coach of the Year for the 4th straight time and led the Lady Bobcats to their third straight state tournament!

BOBCATS The Bobcats also had a great season unexpectedly going to the Sub-State, coming in 2nd in the district regular season, and 2nd in the district and region tournaments.

The Bobcats lose Jake Smith to graduation. Jake came off thebench often to grab key rebounds, made important steals and key baskets and will be missed. Thank you Jake for your contributions.

Back are all the starters including top scorer Dawson Abbott whowill be one of the top players in the district once again. His threepointers always bring a roar from the Bobcat fans, but he also has many rebounds a game plus steals. Brian Gibson will again be a key with his rebounding, blocked shots and his scoring will be a key next season. Very impressive was Bryson Yorke who saw little playing time a year ago but started this year and was an all tournament pick in the playoffs. With a year’s experience under his belt, there is no telling how great his season will be next year. Clay Smith saw many starts and his 3-point shooting and steals were an important part of Bobcat play. Another outstanding season was Trent Young’s, now a starter, with his ball handling, 3 pointers and defensive play helping the Bobcats to their big season. Talented freshman Parker Gore showed a great deal of potential and will only be an even stronger player next year.

The talented bench included Will Garrett, Evan Caudle, Luke Smith and Cole Sells, all played an important role in this year’s success and can look forward to increased playing time next year.

Impressive was Coach Amonett’s season leading the Bobcats to a second place finish in the district, district and region tournaments and to the first Pickett County boys’ Sub-State since 2007 against CSAS.

The Bobcats should be the pick to win the district next year and battle it out with Monterey and Van Buren County for the region title. Another Sub-State game and possible state tournament ticket are very good possibilities as well!

Have a great spring, summer and fall…tip-off is less than 8months away!

So close! 67-62 Lady Bobcats second best in tournament

TERRY BRYANSports Writer

For the third straight year the Lady Bobcats drew the team in the first round that would go on to win the state championship. The year before last they led Middleton almost to the last minute before Middleton pulled away and two games later were state champs. Last year it was South Greene which the Lady Bobcats drew first, PC fell behind, made a run but fell short and S. Greene won it all. This year it was South Greene up first and they had to fight off the Lady Bobcats in the second half to hold on for the win, 67-62. They beat Clarkrange, who only had to beat a 18-15 Perry County, a 22-13 Hampton team which only scored 27 points against Clarkrange, for the championship by the score of 66-57 against the Lady Buffaloes.

While the Lady Buffaloes fell behind in the 2nd half, the Lady Bobcats did the opposite, falling behind in the 1st half, and coming back to within 2 late in the game. The Glass House had a huge turnout of loud Lady Bobcats fans with South Greene also having a great turnout. The Lady Bobcats had first possession with Courtney Pritchett scoring first. The Lady Rebels then scored, with PC giving the ball back on a foul. S. Greene scored but Pickett Co. came right back with Abbi Buck scoring. S. Greene then hit a 3…7-4. Again Courtney scored and S. Greene turned the ball over. Another PC foul gave the ball back to the Lady Rebels and they scored to go ahead 9-6. A Lady Bobcat three was off with S. Greene then scoring to go up 11-6.

At that point Aaliyah Brown came into the game and immediately drove to the basket to score, bringing loud cheers from the huge Lady Bobcat crowd. Both teams turned the ball over before Aaliyah again drove in and cut the score to 11-10. After a missed S. Greene shot, the Lady Bobcats were called for a walk and S. Greene scored. A Lady Bobcat shot was off, then a Lady Rebel walk wasn’t called and they scored and hit a free throw to go up 16-10. Aaliyah was then fouled in the act of shooting and her shots cut it to 16-13 after one quarter. S. Greene then went ahead 18-13, Pickett Co. walked and S. Greene scored. Coach Smith called a time out and the girls responded. Aaliyah scored, S. Greene missed with Aaliyah going to the free throw line and sank both…20-17. She then stole the ball and scored, 20-19 and the Lady Bobcat fans were roaring! S. Greene went up 23-20. It then appeared that Gracie Martin was fouled but they called it on our girls and S. Greene took advantage of that call and hit a three…26-19. Gracie was fouled a minute later and cut it to 26-20 but S. Greene then scored…28-20. A bad pass gave the ball back to the Lady Rebels and they went ahead 30-20. Then another turnover gave the Lady Rebels another score and it was 32-20 and things looked bleak. But our Lady Bobcats fought back. Aaliyah drove to the basket and scored. S. Greene hit two free throws and then Gracie sank two for the Lady Bobcats. The half ended with S. Greene going back to the line for 2 more points and at halftime it was 36-24.

The 3rd quarter began with Gracie driving to the basket to score but S. Greene responded with a 3 for their biggest lead at 39-26. Aaliyah then scored. After S. Greene fouled, Kassidy scored…39-30. S. Greene missed a shot and it was Courtney scoring. When the Lady Rebels missed a shot, it looked alike the comeback would continue as the Lady Bobcats raced down the court but a layup was off and our girls were called for a foul. But, S. Greene didn’t score and Abbi was fouled…2 free throws made it 39-34.

The Lady Rebels scored an old fashioned 3, then got the ball back and scored to go up 46-34. Gracie then scored and added a free throw. S. Greene scored then soon after were fouled and hit one of two free throws…49-37. Down by 12, Gracie hit a three…49-40. The Lady Rebels hit one of two free throws…50-40. Gracie then dropped in another three pointer…50-43. Then a terrible call on Savannah Hammock gave S. Greene two free throws…52-43. Courtney drove in to score…52-45. Savannah then had a huge steal with Gracie scoring…52-47 and with seconds to go a Lady Bobcat three was off at the buzzer. They had outscored the Lady Rebels 23-16 in the quarter.

The final quarter began with Abbi hitting a three and the lead was now just 52-50! The Pickett County fans were on fire! S. Greene scored and then the worst call of the night gave S. Greene the ball back on a Lady Bobcat charge. Abbi was then called for her 5th foul with S. Greene making one of two…55-50. Aaliyah scored…55-52. Then S. Greene appeared to charge but it wasn’t called on them and they went up 57-52. Aaliyah then scored again…57-54. No three second call was called on the Lady Rebels and they scored. Courtney then drove in to score and it was 61-56. The Lady Bobcats were called for a foul…63-56. Gracie then drove in to score…63-56. Gracie Martin then scored…63-58. It was then Savannah leaving the game on her 5th foul and the score was then 64-56.

Courtney was fouled and sank both shots making it 64-60 with 25.9 seconds to go. The Lady Rebels went to the free throw line…65-60. Aaliyah then drove in to score 67-62 but South Greene scored as time ran out escaping with a 67-62 win. Had there been a few more minutes in the comeback, the Lady Bobcats may have advanced.

The Lady Bobcats shot 53.3% to South Greene’s 50%. The Lady Bobcats had 3 threes to the Lady Rebels’ 4. The Lady Bobcats were 11 for 14 from the free throw line while S. Greene was 19 for 25 getting 11 more free throws than the Lady Bobcats. But the big difference in the game was turnovers in the first half by the Lady Bobcats, who then came back to outplay the Lady Rebels in the 2nd half.

Despite the Lady Bobcats giving the Lady Rebels their toughest game of the tournament, none of the deserving very Lady Bobcats made the All Tournament team. South Greene’s talented Taylor Lamb was named Tournament MVP. South Greene moves up to AA next year with the Lady Bobcats the pick to win it all next year.

Congratulations to the Lady Bobcats on a fantastic year! Boys tournament results next week and Lady Bobcat/ Bobcat season wrap up next week.

7A again showed that this is the toughest district in the state. The Lady Bobcats can be proud of being the 2nd best team in the tournament and state with an outstanding 30-3 record. And Courtney was District MVP and Region MVP up against the eventual Miss Basketball. Both she and Aaliyah established themselves as potential Miss Basketball nominees next year, if not next year for Aaliyah, the year after!

Pickett County Lady Bobcats Regional Champs

Back to the ‘Boro!!! We can beat South Greene!

TERRY BRYANSports Writer

The Lady Bobcats will make their THIRD straight trip to Murfreesboro to the State Tournament Championships on Thursday at 6 p.m. vs. defending state champion South Greene. While this will most likely be the “championship game” with the two top teams in the tournament, andis against the defending state champions, the Lady Bobcats can win this game.How we can win:The Lady Bobcats didn’t play their best game last year in their matchup, got down by 12 but when they got back to playing Lady Bobcats basketball cut it to 3 points and nearly cut it to 1. If they play great basketball from the start, they can win.Our Lady Bobcats have only lost to 1 team this year while SouthGreene has lost to 3 different teams and had close games againstCloudland, Hampton and Granger so they can and have been beaten.South Greene may come in overlooking the Lady Bobcats after their win last year.Our Lady Bobcats are faster than last year and have added morescoring power with the emergence of Aaliyah Brown and Savannah Hammock, added to last year’s top scorer Courtney Pritchett and school record three point shooter Abbi Buck. Gracie Martin was the defensive player of the year and Kassidy can score and gets plenty of rebounds. The Lady Bobcats were great last year and are great again this year!If our girls go in with a positive attitude, backed by our positiveand enthusiastic fans, they can work their magic against SouthGreene! Going in knowing they can win, focusing on what they do best, playing their great defense all can add up to a win!Go Lady Bobcats!

Sub-State: Lady Bobcats crush Van Buren Co. 77-40

TERRY BRYANSports Writer

The loyal Lady Bobcat fans packed the gym early Saturday night for the Lady Bobcats’ Sub-State game against the Lady Eagles of Van Buren County, the team they beat two years ago in the Sub-State away, 95-65.It was no contest again as the Lady Bobcats crushed the 15-17 Lady Eagles. It was 7-0 Lady Bobcats with Abbi scoring 5, one score was a three. Kassidy scored the first basket. VB scored. Abbi stole the ball with Courtney scoring…11-2. Aaliyah had a steal, Courtney too and it was 18-7 after one quarter. As the Lady Bobcats pulled away, Savannah had 2 threes, Aaliyah another and it was 31-14. Abbi had a steal with Aaliyah scoring…36-14. With the score 38-14 Savannah blocked a shot and the half ended 38-15. Van Buren brought a good sized crowd and they were enthusiastic in support of their team, but 80% of the gym was Lady Bobcat fans, and they were loud! Abbi started the 3rd quarter with a three, Savannah had another blocked shot, Aaliyah scored quite a few as the Lady Bobcats took a commanding lead of 65-26 after three quarters. The talented younger players wrapped up the game with HaleyBurton and Elly Smith scoring on free throws for a 77-40 final. Aaliyah led in scoring with 23, 1 three, Kassidy 10, Courtney 11,Abbi 10, 2 threes, Gracie 5, Savannah 14, 2 threes, Haley 1, Elly 3.The win sends the Lady Bobcats to their third state tournament!

Lady Bobcats Region Champs

TERRY BRYANSports WriterThe Lady Bobcats won their second straight Region Championship by beating Clarkrange 60-56 last week at Watertown. And once again our Courtney Pritchett was named MVP. Savannah Hammock scored first but Clarkrange came right back with a three. They then went up 5-2. But Kassidy Geesling scored before they fell behind 7-4. Courtney was fouled and made it 7-6. Again Clarkrange scored. Courtney cut it to 1 at 9-8. Again they went ahead 11-8, while their fouls weren’t called. A long pass to and score by Savannah made it 11-10. Clarkrange missed 3 straight shots and then fouled Courtney…12-11 Lady Bobcats. Clarkrange scored and Courtney went back to the free throw line…14-13. Clarkrange scored, we missed a three and they scored again…17-14 which was the score at the end of the quarter. Aaliyah was the first to score on a freethrow in the 2nd quarterbut a Clarkrange player knocked down a Lady Bobcat yet the call was on her…no charge 19-15. Kassidy then scored, again no charge and it was 21-17. Abbi then hit a three to cut it to 1. They then took the lead on a Courtney Pritchett shot. No 3 seconds called…23-22 Clarkrange. Courtney drove to the basket and scored 24-23. Lady Buffaloes walked with Courtney scoring again…26-23. Then 26-25.Savannah’s score made it 28-25. Buffalo turnover and Aaliyah hit a three…31-25 and that was the halftime score. The Lady Bobcats were given a standing ovation by the huge crowd of Lady Bobcat fans. Surprisingly, Lady Buffalo fans only filled 2/3 of their side of the gym. Clarkrange scored first in the 3rd quarter 31-27. Both teamsturned the ball over on a missed three and a Clarkrange charge.Kassidy then scored…33-27. A Clarkrange walk led to Courtney driving in to score…35-27 and the fans were on their feet again! Courtney then stole the ball with Gracie Martin driving in to score…37-29.Another ‘range turnover and another Savannah score…39-29. Ten 39-31, 39-33, with Kassidy then scoring 41-33. Gracie stole the ball with Savannah scoring…43-33. We got the ball back and Savannah scored and hit a free throw…46-35. Clarkrange 3 point air ball. Courtney was fouled and the quarter ended 48-35 Lady Bobcats and it looked like Clarkrange was going on the road for the Sub-State. But Clarkrange scored first, then went to the free throw line…48-39. The Lady Bobcats were slowing down the game but a foul gave the ball back to Clarkrange and they scored. Courtney was fouled…50-41. Clarkrange hit a three…50-44. A bad pass gave the ball to Clarkrange but they turned it over. PC was called for a carry and Clarkrange scored 50-46. We missed a shot and Clarkrange walked, no call and hit a three…50-49. Courtney drove in and hooked in a shot…52-49. Clarkrange hit 2 free throws, one point game. Courtney fouled…54-51. Clarkrange fouled…54-53 with 1:39 to go. Courtney added another 2 free throws and Gracie stole the ball and PC was fouled…but the shots were off. Clarkrange missed a 3. Savannah was fouled and sank both free throws…60-53. Clarkrange then hit a long three at the buzzer to lose 60-56. MVP Courtney Pritchett scored 26 while Kara Meadows scored an amazing 45 but that was not enough to beat our Lady Bobcats!Scoring: Pritchett 26, Brown 4, 1 three, Geesling 8, Buck 5, 1 three,Martin 2, Hammock 15

Named to the Region All Tournament Team were: Aaliyah Brown, Savannah Hammock, Abbi Buck and Courtney Pritchett was MVP!

Pickett County Bobcats Regional Runner-Up

Bobcats’ season ends at Van Buren

A huge turnout of Bobcat fans, who were the loudest heard in many years, packed into the too small Van Buren gym Monday night to face the Eagles who were trying to advance to the state tournament for the 3rd straight year. Over 100 fans lined either end of the court, while others sat in the aisles.

Van Buren came out red hot, while the Bobcats struggled. TheBobcats got the ball first when the Eagles were called for a tip offviolation and Bryson Yorke put the Bobcats up 2-0. The ‘Cats pressed but Van Buren raced down court and began hitting uncontested threes and were ahead 22-9 after one quarter. This was a “let them play” game with few fouls called…at least on Van Buren. Even with Van Buren holding a large lead, the Bobcat fans and cheerleaders were LOUD and supportive. At 31-19 late in the 2nd quarter, things looked bleak for the Bobcats until Dawson Abbott hit two threes in half a minute to pull the Bobcats back to within 31-25 at the half. While the Eagle fans were quiet, the Bobcats fans roared as the ‘Cats left the court.

In the first half Van Buren had hit 6 threes, 5 in the firstquarter. The Bobcats were hurt by about 10 turnovers.

As the 2nd half began, Parker scored and the Bobcats were nowdown just by 4 and the crowd was deafening. But, the Eagles hit athree, the Bobcats turned the ball over and Van Buren hit yet another three for a 39-27 lead. The Eagle threes continued as did the Bobcat turnovers and by the end of 3 it was 51-38.

No one had expected the still young Bobcats to get to the Sub-State this year, even though a lot expect the Bobcats to go to thestate tournament next year. They had the state’s AP ranked #2Goodpasture, #3 Clay County and #5 Watertown between them and the region final, plus a good Monterey team to beat. But everything fell into the Bobcats’ favor, along with the outstanding coaching of Coach Amonett, to reach the Sub-State for the first time in 10 years.

This was a very good Van Buren team playing their best basketball of the year. The Bobcats and fans should be very proud of the team’s outstanding year and with everyone back but Jake Smith, who played well in last night’s game, the future is very bright for the Bobcats. Junior and first year starter Bryson Yorke had an outstanding game with 17 points. Dawson Abbott 8, 2 threes. Trent Young 4. The final was 71-44 with Van Buren sinking 13 threes. Parker Gore 2, Brian Gibson 10, Clay Smith 1 three. Congratulations Coach Amonett, the Bobcats and fans …the best in the Upper Cumberland, on an outstanding 20-13 season!

Bobcats advance to Sub-State

TERRY BRYANSports Writer

Coach Amonett, in his first year as coach, has guided the Bobcatsto their 1st Sub-State game in 10 years. Had a great game againststate ranked Clay County and led until late in the 3rd quarter! Parker Gore scored first followed by a Brian Gibson three.Dawson’s score made it 7-3 but Clay hit a three…7-6. Both teamsturned the ball over before Dawson was fouled…9-6. Clay hit a three. But Dawson matched it…12-9. Clay scored. Trent Young hit a three at the buzzer for a 15-11 score at the end of one! The Bobcats fans were on their feet! Clay came back 15-14. Then both teams had several turnovers with Bryson Yorke (2) Clay Smith having steals. Then Dawson hit a three…18-14. 18-16. A Clay Smith 3…21-16! Ask any fan at the game and this was one of the worst officiated games in memory. Clay was finally called for a walk and Dawson hit a three for a 24-16 halftime lead! Clay County stormed back to cut it to 24-23 to start the 3rdquarter. Dawson scored…26-23. Clay County then grabbed the lead on a three. Dawson hit a three.29-28. Clay charge, Brian score…31-18. Clay tied it on a 3. They then went up 33-31 after 3. Clay then pulled away 40-33. Parker scored twice…40-37. Dawson’s 2 free throws made it 40-39. Bryson then put the Bobcats back on top 41-40 with about 3 minutes to go! It was 44-43 Clay with 1:13 to go.But the Bulldogs pulled away on 4 free throws to win 48-43.

The Bobcat fans gave our boys a standing ovation for theiroutstanding game! This is the first time BOTH our teams have advanced to the Sub-State in the same year!Scoring: Bryson 4, Dawson 18, 4 threes, Trent one 3, Parker 6, Brian 7, 1 three, Clay 3, 1 three, Jake 2Named to the All Tournament Team were Bryson Yorke, Brian Gibson and Dawson AbbottWhile they didn’t win the game, they may have won the better Sub-State game. They played Van Buren who upset CSAS. Many felt that this was a better matchup for the Bobcats.

Bobcats beat Monterey, advance to Region Championship

TERRY BRYANSports Writer

The Bobcats met Monterey at Watertown in the region Semi-finals and came away with a 54-50 win to advance to the Region Championship! The first quarter was a close one with Monterey taking an earlylead before a Brian Gibson three put them ahead 12-10. Monterey led 13-12 after one quarter. The Bobcats pulled ahead 17-13 on scores by Brian and Dawson Abbott. Parker Gore’s score made it 19-15 with Brian’s 2 free throws made it 21-15. Monterey came back to tie it at 23 all but a Gibson layup at the buzzer made it 25-23 at the half. Trent Young drove in to score to start the 3rd quarter with Monterey getting their last lead at 28-27 on a three. Bryson Yorke put the Bobcats back ahead with a score and by the end of three it was 35-28. Monterey cut it to 35-33 on a three, then tied the game. Dawsonscored on a reverse layup, and followed that with a three…40-37. Clay Smith scored with Brian hitting another 3…45-37. Monterey hit a three. Bryson scored 47-42. Dawson hit 2 free throws. Monterey walked and scored. Brian made it 50-44. onterey hit a three…50-47. With 13.9 seconds to go Dawson sank 2 free throws…52-47. Monterey hit an NBA three…52-50. They fouled Dawson and he made it 54-50 for the win!Scoring-Bryson 11, Dawson 14, 1 three, Trent 4, Parker 2, Brian 19, 2 threes, Clay 4

They played in the 2nd game after Clay County demolished Jackson County 63-33, with a huge crowd of fans from both schools packing the gym and the Pickett County student section, cowboy themed, making themselves heard led by the terrific Pickett County cheerleaders.

The Lady Bobcats won the tip off but their 3 pointer was off but their defense caused a Clarkrange turnover. Soon Clarkrange scored on two free throws. Savannah Hammock was fouled and tied the score. A second Clarkrange wild pass gave the Lady Bobcats the ball again and Courtney was fouled…4-2. Each score brought on a roar from the Lady Bobcat faithful! Courtney then stole the ball and Savannah scored and was fouled…7-2. But Clarkrange came right back to take an 8-7 lead.

That didn’t last long as Abbi Buck drained a three pointer! A Clarkrange 3 was off and Aaliyah was fouled…12-8. Clarkrange’s Crabtree also was getting into early foul trouble. Clarkrange came back to tie. Then a Lady Buffalo fouled Courtney and as Courtney started to walk by her, the player body-shoved her but nothing was called…much to the dismay of the crowd calling for a technical. Courtney added a free throw and then hit a three pointer to end the quarter 16-12! That shove may have been the incentive the Lady Bobcats needed!

Savannah scored first to go up 18-14. Courtney scored…20-14. Clarkrange walked with the ball and Courtney hit another 3 for a 23-14 score and the crowd was roaring again! Next she went to the foul line…25-18. After Aaliyah hit a free throw, Courtney sank her 3rd three of the night…29-20. Both teams missed shots and had turnovers before Aaliyah scored…31-23. Kassidy Geesling then stole the ball but a Lady Bobcat three was off. PC got the ball back and Kassidy was fouled…33-23. After a Clarkrange missed shot, Courtney hit 2 free throws and the Lady Bobcats had their biggest lead at 35-23. Clarkrange hit a 3 and the half ended 35-26.

Clarkrange opened the 3rd quarter hitting a three, then scored again…37-31. Courtney then drove in to score. Clarkrange scored, Savannah scored…41-35. When Aaliyah scored it was 43-36. Clarkrange scored, a PC shot was off but Aaliyah stole the ball and was fouled…45-38. Clarkrange got an old fashioned 3, PC missed a 3 with Clarkrange scoring…after 2 Clarkrange walks were not called. PC missed free throws and Clarkrange scored. Another PC shot was off and Clarkrange answered with a three to take the lead at 46-45 and the quarter ended.

They then went ahead 48-45 and the Lady Bobcats missed 2 shots before a huge basket by Aaliyah cut it to 48-47. Clarkrange threw the ball out of bounds on a wild pass but a PC shot was off. Courtney then stole the ball, passed off but another PC shot was off. She immediately stole the ball AGAIN and scored 49-48! Clarkrange turnover, Courtney scored…51-48. Clarkrange score and then one of Abbi’s biggest three pointers of the year made it 54-50!

With 2:55 to go Clarkrange scored. Aaliyah then drove to the basket and scored over a player a foot taller than her 56-52. Courtney stole the ball and was fouled…58-52. Clarkrange missed the front end of a 1 and 1. Courtney was fouled…60-52. Clarkrange scored. PC turnover and Clarkrange score…60-56. Gracie Martin added a free throw…61-56 and with 11.3 to go Aaliyah was fouled and hit both for the winning 63-56 score!

Courtney had 28 points, 6 steals and 10 rebounds as she was named MVP. Also on the All Tournament Team were Kassidy Geesling, Aaliyah Brown, Abbi Buck and Savannah Hammock. While district MVP defensive player Gracie Martin didn’t make the team this time, the Lady Bobcats wouldn’t be where they are this season without her outstanding play all year.

They will now play Trousdale County Friday night at home! Pack the gym! The Bobcats also play at home on Saturday night.

The Lady Bobcats breezed past Jackson County in the first round of the district tournament on Friday night. The win was the 7th in a row over the Lady Blue Devils with the Lady Bobcats winning by an average score of 70-46.

JC scored first with the Lady Bobcats missing a three, but Courtney Pritchett stole the ball and was fouled. Her free throws tied the game. With the score tied at 4 all, MVP Defensive Player of the Year Gracie Martin stole the ball with Savannah Hammock scoring. Abbi was next to score…8-4. It was Kassidy Geesling stealing the ball next with Gracie going coast to coast to score.

JC then scored on an old fashioned three but Aaliyah’s three pointer made it 13-7. Another steal and Aaliyah was fouled and sank both…15-7. Courtney then stole the ball and scored and the rout was on! Courtney hit a three and a minute later added a free throw for a 21-11 score at the end of one.

Aaliyah’s score made it 25-15 and then she immediately stole the ball. Courtney scored the next 2 baskets, plus added a free throw…30-19. Aaliyah then drove the length of the court for a layup. Courtney added 2 free throws, Aaliyah scored again with Savannah next going the length of the court to score…38-25. Aaliyah had yet another steal. Savannah scored at the buzzer to end the half with the Lady Bobcats ahead 46-30.

Savannah scored first on a freethrow for Pickett Co with Courtney then stealing the ball and being fouled. She sank both. Next Abbi stole the ball. With the score 54-30, Gracie had another steal and score with Courtney stealing the ball. She was fouled and sank both…58-31. The quarter ended with Savannah nearly stealing the ball but then Courtney did steal it and was fouled. Her free throws made it 63-33 at the end of 3 quarters.

The final quarter scoring began for the Lady Bobcats with Savannah sinking a three pointer. Gracie’s three made it 71-39. At that point the talented younger players came in, along with Aaliyah who stays in since there aren’t enough substitutes for 5 players. She is outstanding in her role of wrapping up a game. Tyra Johnson scored on a free throw with Elly Smith going all the way down the court to score…73-39. She then had a free throw and Aaliyah scored next on a turn around jump shot…76-43. She then took the ball coast to coast to score. The game came to an end with Elly stealing the ball and being fouled. She sank both free throws for a final of 80-45.

The win put them into the finals against Clarkrange, who won 68-50 over Clay County in the earlier game. Courtney led all scorers with 23 points with 1 three. Brown 19, 1 three, Geesling 4, Buck 2, Martin 9, 1 three, Hammock 17, 1 three, Smith 5, Johnson 1.

The win also gave them a home first round region game.

Abbott scores 32 in 64-53 winThe Bobcats met Jackson County in the district tournament on Saturday night and after leading by as many as 19 points, came away with a 64-53 win to advance to the championship game Tuesday night against state ranked #4 Clay County.

The game started with the Bobcats winning the tip off, but turned the ball over. A quick reacting Parker Gore then stole the ball and scored. Brian Gibson was next to score…4-4. JC went ahead on free throws but Dawson then went coast to coast to score. He then stole the ball but his three pointer went in, spun around and came out. JC then scored followed by both teams trading turnovers before Dawson drove in to tie the game at 8 all and added a free throw to go ahead. The Blue Devils scored to take an 11-10 lead at the end of one.

The first score for the Bobcats of the 2nd quarter came when Trent Young stole the ball with Brian Gibson feeding Bryson Yorke for the score. The score was soon tied twice at 11-11 and 13-13. Trent’s free throws put the Bobcats on top 15-13 but a Blue Devil three gave them the lead at 18-17. It would be tied one last time at 20-20 before Brian scored for a 22-20 lead. JC scored and made a free throw to give them their last lead at 23-22. Trent scored with Clay Smith stealing the ball and he scored… 26-23. Jackson County then cut it to 1 point before Brian’s 2 scores made it 30-25. JC scored on free throws with Dawson ending the scoring for the half with 2 free throws…32-27.

Dawson’s three to begin the 3rd quarter started the Bobcats on their big third quarter. Parker scored next, Brian added a free throw…38-29. Dawson drove to the basket to score…40-31, Brian fed Bryson again for another score 42-31. Brian then stole the ball with Trent hitting a three for a big 45-31 lead. It was then Trent to Bryson for a score and then Dawson hitting a three as the Bobcats completely shut down the Blue Devils. It was now 50-31, which would be the Cats’ biggest lead of the game. The quarter ended with a great steal by Parker. The Bobcats outscored Jackson Co. 18-5 in the quarter.

Dawson had one more three in the final quarter to end his scoring for the night with 32 points with 3 threes. Bryson 10, Trent 7, 1 three, Parker 4, Brian 9, Clay 2.

The win put the Bobcats into the championship game against Clay County Tuesday night and gave them a first round home game in the region tournament.

All District 7A TeamsERRY BRYAN

The coaches have voted the All 7A District teams with many Pickett County players being honored. A few Pickett County players may just prove in the playoffs that they certainly deserved to be placed higher! This post was before the district tournament was played and the All Tournament Teams will also be in this issue.

Congratulations to Coach Brent Smith on being Coach of the Year yet again!

Girls’ 7A All District TeamsCoach of the Year: Brent Smith, Pickett County

About Pickett County Press

The Pickett County Press has been Pickett County and Byrdstown's hometown paper since 1962. Since then, the Press has been the keeper and reporter of many community events, such as weddings, deaths, births, political events, tragic destruction from tornadoes, new roads, new schools, new businesses, and many other happenings too numerous to mention.

It continues to be the community reporter, reporting on issues important to the citizens of the community. It continues to handle all news material with honesty and accuracy. The Press does not wish to become engaged in any controversy regarding religion or politics, however, it will take a stand against any wrongdoing and support what is right, regardless of whom it many reflect upon.

Three generations of the Hill family have been at the helm of the Pickett County Press since its inception. From the Press's beginning, Norman Hill led the way, then his son James E. Hill, and now to present, James' daughters, Jamie and Amanda.

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